Crystals
by HATEmach1ne
Summary: SCRAPPED
1. The Return

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its character. Any relation or likeness to a character in Naruto is purely coincidental. Wink._

_A/N: This is an idea I had bouncing around in my noggin just wanting to get out. I tried to force it back in, but it made me type it out on a word doc. A couple of hours of work, not bad. This is an experimental writing for me, as I'm trying something new. I won't tell you! As for Naruto, if you read the title, you might figure out what kind of bloodline I gave to Naruto. For those of you who can't figure it out, I think its pretty awesome (IMO). Now, enjoy and R&R. Naruto/Anko/Kurenai_

**Crystals**

**The Return**

A man with a fearsome white porcelain mask stands over the village of Konohagakure of Fire Country. Red, vertical slashes run across each eye giving it a vicious look. Amethyst eyes lie beneath the white mask, a perfect blend of crimson and cerulean. His hair is wild and untamed, jutting out in spikes on his head. A ponytail falls down his back, reaching the small of his back. A bamboo hat sits on his head, the chin strap under his chin. He wears a high black coat, the collar covering the lower part of his face. On his feet is a pair of getas and on his hands adorn fingerless black gloves. A katana is strapped to his perpendicular to his right shoulder, while a pouch of kunai wraps around his left thigh.

The man hops off the branch, touching the ground like a feather, no sound emanating from his landing. He walks along the path, his hunter-mask still clearly attached to his face. Soon enough, the gates of Konoha come into view, two Chunin level guards at the entrance. The two begin to tense up, their eyes never straying from the approaching figure. As it inches closer, they can begin to see the hunter-mask on the man's face, his amethyst eyes boring into their own. They can see the katana on the man's back and they can tell by his posture that he means business.

When he stops in front of them, he produces some papers, handing them over to the two guards. The two guards inspect it, their eyes giving a cursory glance while also keeping an eye on the lone figure. Giving one more look at the papers, they hand them back and lets him through, both of them not seeing anything amiss with the papers. Walking inside, he draws stares from the passing bystanders, but he ignores them. He can see women staring at him in interest, but a woman passing by with red eyes pique his.

Her attire consists of a red dress with the left sleeve cut off while the right sleeve covers her whole right arm. Black and white bandages wrap around her curvy figure while her hair darkens in contrast. Her hair is unkempt and wild, giving her a wild look. Tape wraps around her hands, covering both wrists. Tape wraps around her thigh where the dress doesn't reach while on her feet are a pair of red shinobi sandals. Her face is angelic, the features on them nothing short of dazzling. Her ruby eyes stand out on her pale face while her red lips are luscious and plump.

Two men also accompany her and he recognizes one of them as Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja. He wears his leaf headband over his left eye to cover his Sharingan while a blue mask covers his mouth and cheeks, exposing only his right eye. His posture is slouchy while his nose is stuck in an orange book. He wears the normal Jounin garb with a vest with pockets for scrolls and other various items. Blue sandals adorn his feet while long gloves cover his hands. His white hair defies gravity, spiking upwards towards the sky.

The other man he recognizes as well, but not as much as Kakashi. The man's name is Sarutobi Asuma, the son of the Sandaime. A cigarette hangs out of his mask, the smoke wafting heaven wards. Spiking black hair adorns his head while a goatee manifests itself on his chin. He wears the same Jounin garb as Kakashi, but he also wears a white bandana on his hip with a red symbol outlined in a black circle. Rings wrap around his wrist, while his hands hold a two trench knives, the blades short and curved. Tape wraps his shins and a pair of blue sandals finishes his ensemble.

He assumes they are all Jounin and with his analysis done, he walks past them, all of them turning their heads towards the mask figure. He ignores their pointed looks and continues to walk towards the Hokage tower, his blond hair swinging back and forth in the wind. His black scabbard lies against his back and twin dragons wrap around themselves along the scabbard of his sword. They all notice his white porcelain mask, putting him off as a hunter-nin, but they can't just shake a strange feeling from him. They all look at each other for a second, all of them debating what to do.

"Should we follow him?" the woman with red eyes ask.

"I think we should. He seems like a shady character and he's moving towards the Hokage's tower," Asuma says.

"I agree. we can't be too cautious. Kurenai, cast a genjutsu to cover us," Kakashi says, nodding for Kurenai to cast the genjutsu.

All three of them disappear and run up the side of a building, trailing the mysterious man from behind. They can barely feel his chakra signature, it is that suppressed. They trail him discreetly, following his every movement. They watch him stop in front of the Hokage's tower and look up, admiring the height of the building. His mouth moves as if saying something, but they do not catch it. They watch him walk inside and they quickly follow, all of them moving past him to get to the Hokage's office. Standing at the end of the hall, they watch him walk down the hall and converse with the ANBU outside.

The voice is emotionless, "I'd like to talk to the Hokage."

The ANBU looks over at the man and can feel the power rolling off him, "G-Go ahead."

"Thank you."

The ANBU opens the door, letting the man through and is quickly followed by the three jounin. They disperse, all of them hiding in a corner of the room. The Hokage is currently sitting behind a stack of paperwork, his nose buried in the latest Icha Icha book. Kurenai's blood begins to boil when she sees the leader of their village reading the indignant orange book. The Sandaime himself, Sarutobi Haruzen is getting along in his old age. He wears a red and white hat with a red kanji on the tip. He wears the normal white Hokage robes and his face is withering, the wrinkles and liver spots apparent.

The door opens, breaking him out of his reading and he looks up to find a fairly tall man, 5'8 looking at him with his head tilted. Sarutobi chuckles sheepishly while the pipe sticks out of his mouth.

"What can I do for you Hunter-san?" Sarutobi asks.

"It's been too long old man."

The pipe drops out of his mouth, his eyes wide and he looks up at the mask searching for the cerulean eyes. All he finds is the depths of his amethyst eyes and it looks like he is searching his soul for something. His body freezes up, and he tenses.

"N-Naruto?"

Three collective eyes widen in their respective corners, all of them having not heard that name in years.

Naruto nods, his eyes scanning the room and landing on all three shinobi hidden in the room, "I know you've been tracking me since I stepped in the village. You can come out now."

They all wince at the voice and are surprised that they were detected. The genjutsu unravels to reveal the three Jounin from before looking at him from the street.

The Hokage coughs, his hand covering his mouth, "Kurenai, Kakashi, Asuma, can you leave? This is important."

A chorus of "Hai" is his answer and they leave, but not before bowing towards their leader. One more look pointed towards the mask man is given off by the three before they walk down the hall, their mouths running a mile a minute at the new information. No doubt the news is going to spread about the "demon" brat.

"Is it really you?"

He removes the mask, showing his face.

His eyes widen again taking in his appearance, "Minato…"

"Yeah, I look like my father. Hanzo-sensei told me that."

His mouth opens in an "O" as the name processes in his mind, "Salamander Hanzo?"

"The one and only old man. What do you think I've been doing all these years?"

Sarutobi shakes his head, the news apparently shocking him, "You trained under Hanzo?"

"Hai, he taught me all I know. He also took me away from this hellhole of a village. The only reason I'm back is because this place means a lot to me. It is the birthplace of my father and I want to protect this place because it is my birth land. Make no mistakes; I am not saying I feel at home here. Maybe in time Hokage-sama, but not now, not when I've lived in Ame for the majority of my life."

"I understand Naruto. I assume you're here because you want to be a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf?" Sarutobi questions.

"That is what I'm intending to do. I am under the assumption that the genin test have already passed?" Naruto asks.

"I'll have you tested by a Jounin panel. I'm going to assume that you are much stronger than a genin," Sarutobi states bluntly.

"Your assumption is correct Hokage-sama. When will this take place and what is the test?"

"All in do time Naruto. Be at training ground 8 at 10 AM tomorrow. Here's the key to your apartment. It's good to see you again Naruto. I thought I lost you all those years ago," Sarutobi hangs his head.

Naruto finally smiles, baring his teeth, "I've missed our talks, old man. It's good to see you too. I'll be there. Take care and here's a hint for the paperwork."

Sarutobi perks up, "What?"

"Shadow clones," Naruto says, chuckling while he leaves and walks out of the Hokage tower. He slips on his mask and walks outside.

When Naruto steps outside, he looks up at the window of the Hokage's office. When he looks, he sees Sarutobi looking down at him, a smile on his face as he watches the boy. They make eye contact, when Sarutobi mouths, "Thank you."

Naruto nods his head and turns back and continues his walk down the street while people stare at him. He passes a group of three genin and he recognizes one being a Uchiha. He walks by ignoring the looks of the lone Uchiha survivor. He disappears around a corner, searching for a place to eat. He walks into a fairly crowded dango shop, noticing all the shinobi milling around inside. Stepping inside, he walks up to the counter and takes a seat next to a woman with purple hair. A tan trench coat sits on her shoulders with a mesh shirt under it. She wears a short, orange skirt and ANBU bracers on her shins.

The woman looks up for a second, checking out the newcomer. She catches his eye, the amethyst color peering back at her own grey eyes.

"What are you looking at?" Anko says.

The man doesn't answer, choosing to stay stoic and silent.

"I asked, what are you looking at?" Her tone is more indignant, more demanding.

He tilts his head to the side, and says, "Nothing."

Returning his face to its original position, the waiter takes his order and he sits silently, waiting for his food to come. Meanwhile with Anko, she is shaken by his answer, never having anybody answer her in that kind of tone before. She usually strikes fear in the heart of many, but with him, she can feel no fear, just the aura of a person confident in their own skills. She goes back to her food, not noticing the man has taken off his mask.

He begins to put the food into his mouth, chewing methodically and thoroughly, crushing the grains of rice under his teeth. He attacks each skewer; putting it into his mouth and eating them clean of rice balls. He finishes 10 minutes later, while the other woman is still attacking her food. He sweatdrops, and the least he can do for her is pay her back for his silence. Waving the waiter over, he gives the waiter enough money to cover his food, Anko's food, and the waiter's tip. Nodding his thank, the waiter runs off in a bustle and heads back into the kitchen to cash away the money. He leaves the restaurant, walking towards his apartment to catch up on the sleep he's been missing for the last couple of days.

Anko begins to finish up, waving the waiter over to get her check, "Can I get my check?"

"The man sitting next to you already paid for you. He said something about paying you back for staying silent or something. He left some money, more than enough to cover for you," the waiter explains.

Looking at his empty seat, she wonders who he can be when her best friend, Yuuhi Kurenai occupies the seat she is staring at.

"Hi Anko-chan, binging on dango I see."

"Yup! I got a free meal too, some guy paid for me," Anko says, using a toothpick to get anything between her teeth.

Kurenai raises her eyebrow, but shrugs it off, "Well, I have some news for you. Uzumaki Naruto is back in town."

Anko looks over at her friend, "Impossible, reports said he died years ago. How is he alive?"

"I don't know, but we saw him enter the village and we followed him. We didn't know it at the time, but we figured it out when he entered the Hokage's office. Apparently the Hokage knew it was him and sent us off, but not before we caught the name."

Anko shrugs, "So he's back. I can't blame him for getting out of here for a couple of years."

"Miss, would you like anything?" the waiter says, eyeing Kurenai up and down.

She looks over, and says disgustingly, "No, I'm fine."

The waiter walks off, his face turning red at the obvious rebuke, "You know Nai-chan, you didn't have to be so harsh."

"He was a pig, didn't you notice him checking me out?" Kurenai says indignantly.

"Hey, if I was a guy, I would check you out too," Anko teases.

Kurenai rolls her eyes, "So, do you know who paid for your food?"

"I didn't get a name, but I know what he looks like. He wore all black, a porcelain face mask like ANBU and a bamboo hat. He had purple eyes and a long blond ponytail," Anko shrugs, still messing around with the toothpick.

Kurenai pails, "Well, it seems like you've met Uzumaki Naruto then."

Anko cocks an eyebrow, "How so?"

"That was him. That was what he was wearing when he entered the Hokage's office."

After her statement, a Chunin arrives at their location, "Kurenai-san, Anko-san, the Hokage requests your presence."

Nodding their heads, they disappear in a swirl of leaves towards the Hokage's office.

***

Walking inside the office, they meet Asuma and Kakashi chatting inside, "Hey, do you know what this meeting is about?"

"No, but I'm going to assume since it's so close to his return that it's about him," Kurenai says,

The Hokage clears his throat, "I'm pretty sure most of you know why you're here. Kurenai, Asuma, Anko, Genma, Gai, and Kakashi, you will be examining one Uzumaki Naruto and decide what level he will be. Kakashi, you will engage him in a spar and you will evaluate his skill level. I will be there to watch, understood?"

A chorus of "Hai," is his answer, "Okay, be at training ground 8 at 10 AM. Dismissed."

All of them leave, while he holds back Anko.

"Yes Hokage-sama?" Anko asks.

"Anko, you will be pairing with Naruto from now on. I need somebody I can trust to tag onto him as he is still a liability. I don't know what he's been doing for the past couple of years. Watch him and tell me if you see anything suspicious. This is an S-rank mission, don't tell anybody," the Hokage stresses.

"He's only 15, he can't be stronger than any Chunin. He's just going to be a liability on any missions we take," Anko protests.

"Anko, just trust me. Everything will show itself at the evaluation tomorrow. You can go now, but keep an eye on him."

Looking at the old man, she can see that he is adamant about this so she walks out after bowing towards the Hokage. Walking into the cool night air she looks at the moon, admiring its beauty and simplicity. She continues to walk down the street, getting glares and looks from the people passing by. She sticks her hands in the pockets of her trench coat and tries to whistle a tune to drown out the poignant looks from people. It begins to bear down on her, the eyes unnerving on her skin.

When she reaches her apartment building, she walks in and immediately runs to her apartment. Slamming the door shut, she walks into her bedroom and tosses herself onto the bed and begins to shed tears, tears of sadness and tears of anger. They stain her bed sheets and clothes; they run into her mouth, the salty taste assaulting her taste buds.

Watching from the crystal ball, he watches as Anko breaks down, her sobs tearing at his heartstrings. The truth for bringing her and Naruto together is to help her get over her emotional problems and fear of commitment. He understands her better than most, maybe except for Kurenai. He knows how broken she is, being betrayed by the only person who seemed to care for her. Once he left, she broke, faking insanity and hiding behind the mask.

Sarutobi wishes he can break it, but no matter what, he can't seem to get her out of her shell of insanity. Bringing together two people who are broken sounds like a pain in the butt, but maybe, just maybe, they can fix each other. That is what he's hoping for.

"I hope you can fix her Naruto," he whispers, smiling sadly to himself.

***

9:55 finds most of the Jounins at training ground 8 to watch and evaluate the skill level of one Uzumaki Naruto. The blond himself hadn't shown yet, but everybody else is there, even the infamously late Kakashi. Everybody chats, wondering what kind of skill the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune has. They all wonder what he's been doing for the past few years, wanting to know how he survived. The clock hits 9:59 and all of them look around, trying to spot the blond anywhere. They look around, not seeing him and they begin to grumble.

The clock hits 10 sharp and he appears in a swirl of flames, making all of the Jounin cock their eye at the specialized shunshin. His porcelain mask adorns his face and his hair is left to itself, no ponytail just a wild mane of golden hair. His amethyst eyes dart from person to person, evaluating and analyzing skill level. Satisfied, he nods towards the Hokage to start.

"We gather here today to evaluate the skill level of Uzumaki Naruto. This will consist of a one versus one spar between Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto. The match will end when one or both is knocked out or at my own discretion. Fighters, please meet in the middle."

The two walk into the middle, eyeing and predicting movements. Kakashi takes a taijutsu stance while Naruto stands in a nonchalant posture, seemingly not worried about this. This confuses many as people should not, and would not underestimate Kakashi.

Looking at the two fighters, he worries for Naruto a bit, looking at his posture, "Fighters, HAJIME!"

They stand and stare, neither daring to make the first move. This goes on for another minute or so before Naruto tosses a single kunai at Kakashi who picks it out of the air, and tosses it back only to find Naruto is gone. Looking around, he can't feel Naruto's chakra signature anywhere, making him worried as Kakashi doesn't know where he is. A volley of kunai fly at him from the trees and he back flips out of there, a trail of kunai spearing the ground in front of him. Another round of kunai comes at him from behind and he manages to jump out of the way only to meet an elbow to the back, sending him to the ground once more.

Quickly getting up, he turns around searching for Naruto, seeing nothing in the trees. A twig cracks from behind him and he turns around, finding Naruto rushing him, kunai held in a backhand grip. Kakashi quickly draws a kunai, and blocks the backhand slash and they begin to dance, kunai twirling and dancing in a path of destruction. A few moments later, they are in a deadlock, their kunai pushing against the other in a battle of dominance.

And then he smiles.

"**Bunshin Daibakuha (Clone Great Explosion)**," a voice rings out from the forest.

Kakashi's eyes widen as the clone begins to gather chakra. Dropping his kunai, he springs backwards trying to get away from the blast area. A moment later, the clone explodes, expelling a chakra enhanced explosion that produces a bright light. Everybody covers their eyes from the flash of the explosion. Sadly for Kakashi, he is still in the blast range and is caught by the tail end of the explosion. He is forcefully launched into a tree, shoulder cracking on impact with the tree. He gingerly makes his way to his feet as the cloud of dust begins to dissipate to show a fairly large crater where the clone and Kakashi were.

A single kunai with an explosive tag flies at Kakashi and he quickly **Kawamiri** **(Body Replacement) **out of the way. The explosive tag fizzles until the tag detonates, leaving the ground charred and the tree in ashes. From a branch in a tree opposite the explosion, he watches the damage unfold from the explosion tag. A voice drifts into his ear from behind.

"Hello Kakashi-san."

Turning around, he ducks a punch to the face and he hops off the branch and back into the clearing, still defending against the flurry of punches, sweeps, grapples, and kicks. When Naruto throws a right hook, Kakashi sees his opening. With a side step, he watches as the punch flies by his face and he gets a punch into Naruto's gut, making him stumble forward.

The clone then poofs out of existence.

Everybody stares at the prowess of Naruto who managed to shake up Kakashi with a mere clone. Not a moment later, another jutsu sounds out.

"**Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet)**."

5 water dragons descend towards Kakashi, each of them coming from a separate tree in the forest. Jumping into the air, he somersaults in mid air out of the range of the water dragons. Quickly wiping his brow, he begins to descend towards the ground.

"**Suiton: Tajuu Suikodan no Jutsu (Water Release: Multiple Water Shark Missiles)**."

10 water sharks begin to form out of the puddles on the ground and they all streak towards Kakashi. Quickly flying through handseals, he yells, "**Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball)**.

Spitting fireballs as fast as he can, 7 of the 10 fireballs manage to block the incoming sharks, but three of them are still intact and coming towards him. They race through the steam produced by the fire making contact with water. He times the moment perfectly and as they descend on his position he jumps back out of range, simultaneously pulling up his Hitai-ate. Looking around, he finds Naruto standing in the clearing, arms crossed, foot tapping on the ground in waiting for Kakashi.

Naruto looks around, and spots Kakashi in the trees with his Sharingan out, "Ah, finally, the great Sharingan of Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Nin. Things are starting to heat up."

Naruto blurs out of vision and Kakashi is barely able to see it with his Sharingan. Sensing a presence to his left, he manages to grab Naruto's foot and throw him away, quickly following with a flurry of punches which Naruto dances around, not even moving to block them. Kakashi throws a quick sweep, managing to catch Naruto in the shins and he back flips, landing on his feet 30 yards away.

Making a single hand seal, he whispers, "**Ninpou: Kokuangyo no Jutsu (Ninja Arts: Bringer of Darkness)**.

The world grows dark for Kakashi, but it is quickly dispelled with his Sharingan. Looking back at the spot where Naruto was standing, he finds him gone and then he senses him from below. Quickly jumping away from Naruto's arm, he quickly flies through hand seals, "**Katon: Karyu Endan (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Missile)**.

Holding his fingers to his mouth, he quickly exhales a fire dragon that races towards Naruto's rising body. Quickly forming handseals, he shouts, "**Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall)**.

A wall of water shoots up, covering Naruto from the fire jutsu. Quickly flying through another set of hand seals, he shouts something everybody gawks at, "**Hyoton: Kokuryu Bofusetsu (Black Dragon Blizzard)**.

A black dragon with red eye flies out of the water, heading straight towards the falling Kakashi. Kakashi, having not seen the handseals for the jutsu, jumps out of the way of the dragon and watches as the dragon turns the solid patch of ground into a pale blue ice. He gulps, wondering what would have happened if he were hit by the jutsu.

The wall of water around Naruto falls in the midst of him doing more hand seals, **Katon: Fenikkusu Endan (Fire Release: Fire Phoenix Missile)**.

The flame shooting out of his mouth forms into a phoenix, chasing Kakashi around as he lands, forming the same handseals as Naruto, "**Suiton: Suijinheki**."

A wall of water surrounds Kakashi, but little does he know, he's in for a surprise. The phoenix fire hits the water wall, sprouting into steam as the water absorbs the fire.

"**Hyoton: Haryu Moko (Tearing Dragon Fierce Tiger)**."

The dragon and tiger of ice race forward, freezing the droplets of water it passes into ice. Kakashi, unaware of what the jutsu does, begins to form handseals and screams, "**Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu**."

The water dragon begins to form out of the water, but is stopped short as Naruto's justu hits Kakashi's waterwall. The wall freezes over, trapping Kakashi inside. Cursing himself for getting into this mess, he quickly makes handseals, "**Doton: Dochu Eigyo no Jutsu** **(Earth Release: Underground Projection Fish)**.

Moving his way underground, he appears under Naruto, grabbing his feet, "**Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation)**.

Pulling Naruto under until his head is the only thing left, he watches as Naruto squirms, trying to get out of the whole. Flicking a kunai out of his sleeve, he puts it at Naruto's neck, "Now that, was an amazing display of jutsu. I may have just learned a few. That still isn't enough, this spar is over."

Hokage looks over at Naruto and back at Kakashi, "Shousha Ka-"

He is stopped by a shout, **"Fuuton: Renkudan (Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet)**.

A gust of wind flies from Naruto's lungs, pushing and throwing Kakashi into a tree, creating a big crash as the tree falls over. Quickly forming handseals, he gets out of the hole and waits for the dust to dissipate. The cloud of dust finally blows away, revealing a standing Kakashi, right arm holding onto his left as lightning chakra flows into a concentrated ball in his left palm. The sounds of birds chirping emanate from the ball of lightning and Naruto smirks, most of them staring at him if he is insane.

"Oh, the famous **Raikiri**. I was hoping you'd pull that out. Now I get to test one of mine."

Everybody stares at him, including Kakashi, all of the interested in what he's going to do.

"**Shoton: Kyojin Kesshou** **Shuriken** **(Crystal Release: Giant Crystal Dart)**.

Crystal begins to form around Naruto's right arm and the ends come to a point, producing a giant dart on Naruto's right hand. All eyes go wide, never seeing this move before.

"Surprised? This is my Kekkei Genkai. It allows me to use crystal techniques like this one here. You ready Kakashi?"

Kakashi looked at the gigantic spear of crystal and shakes his head, trying to clear his mind of the gigantic spike in Naruto's hand. Charging at the same time, Naruto runs, the crystal point dragging across the ground, creating giant strips along the ground. Reaching up, he prepares to plunge it into Kakashi's **Raikiri**, but Kakashi jumps, running across the ice crystal. Naruto smirks, yelling **Shoton: Suisho To** **(Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Blade)**.

A blade of crystal forms on his left arm and as he plunges the **Raikiri**, Naruto brings up the crystal blade, blocking the Raikiri, making everybody's eyes go wide. With an explosion, the Raikiri blows up on the two, sending them both back in a big explosion. Black smoke rises from the clearing, wafting heavenwards as people watch for who is the lone one standing in the smoke. The smoke begins to dissipate, revealing a single figure standing and one on the ground, apparently unconscious.

When the smoke clears, it reveals a broken porcelain mask lying at the feet of the man standing. The mask is cracked in half, the face lying upwards staring at its wearer. Panting heavily, he looks towards the Hokage who has his mouth open at the display of the Kekkei Genkai Naruto has. Naruto's skin begins to crack, pink flakes falling off of Naruto's skin and onto the floor of the clearing. Everybody stares in amazement as Naruto sheds what appears to be a layer of crystal around his body.

"**Kesshou no Yoroi** **(Crystal Armor**)."

Everybody looks at the unmoving form of Kakashi, but they can still see his chest rise and fall in tandem with his breathing.

"S-Shousha, Uzumaki Naruto."

The clearing is quiet, nobody believing what they just saw happen to one of the strongest Jounin in Konoha. Turning towards the crowd, they now get a good look at his face and women blush at his handsome face. It looks like the Yondaime's except he still has the three whisker marks on his cheek. His eyes are a deep amethyst, seemingly capable of looking into your soul.

Recovering from his speechlessness, the Hokage coughs, "Your evalutations?"

"I, Yuuhi Kurenai, nominate Uzumaki Naruto to Tokubetsu Jounin."

"I, Sarutobi Asuma, nominate Uzumaki Naruto to Tokubetsu Jounin."

"I, Mitarashi Anko, nominate Uzumaki Naruto to Tokubetsu Jounin."

"I, Genma Shiranui, nominate Uzumaki Naruto to Tokubetsu Jounin."

"YOSH, UZUMAKI NARUTO'S FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHTLY. I MAITO GAI, NOMINATE UZUMAKI TO TOKUBETSU JOUNIN!"

Everybody sweatdrops at Gai's outburst while Naruto chuckles, "Way to liven it up Gai. Thanks for that."

Gai gives him a thumbs up, a gleam coming from his tooth, "You're welcome Uzumaki-san."

"Obivously since Kakashi is unconscious, I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Hoakge of Konohagakure, bestow the rank of Tokubetsu Jounin upon Uzumaki Naruto. Congratulations Naruto," Sarutobi smiles.

"Thanks old man. Thank you all," he says, bowing towards the Jounin judges.

"Naruto, see me in my office. Anko, you come too."

"Hai."

"Asuma, get Kakashi to the hospital. He is no doubt suffering from chakra exhaustion and maybe a few broken ribs. You are all dismissed."

With that, the three leave in their respective style of shunshins, leaving everybody to walk off, all of them whispering about Naruto's Kekkei Genkai.

***

Once inside, the Hokage sits down in his chair and Naruto and Anko remain standing.

"Congratulations Naruto-kun on your promotion. That was a great display of jutsu and hijutsu. Your Kekkei Genkai lets you manipulate water and earth to change them into crystals?" Sarutobi asks.

"Hai Ojiji. Taking minerals from the Earth, it allows me to crystallize them through water and they harden to create crystal structures such as my **Shoton: Suisho To.** I am the last of my clan as I activated my bloodline when I was 10. I mastered it when I was 14," Naruto answers.

"When the council hears about this, they will no doubt try to facilitate your Kekkei Genkai through the Clan Restoration Act. They may force you to marry and have children with girls from different clans to combine bloodline limits," Sarutobi sighs.

Naruto snorts, making Sarutobi look up, "Hm, if the council is going to force me, they are going to lose a very valuable Kekkei Genkai. I will not be coerced to breed with woman I do not even know, that is just ridiculous. Besides, passing on my Kekkei Genkai needs more than me just fucking another woman 8 ways to Sunday," Naruto finishes.

"What do you mean?" Sarutobi asks.

"The wife must either have an affinity for Suiton or Doton and the husband must have the other. My father had an affinity for Suiton while my mother was Doton. The Kekkei Genkai came from my mother's side as my father was Konoha's "Yellow Flash". Once that has been established, there also has to be an emotional connection. To sum it up, I actually have to love another woman for the baby to have my Kekkei Genkai."

"Interesting, we'll see how the council will take that. For now, take these," the Hokage says, handing Naruto a Jounin pin and a Jounin jacket.

"Arigato Ojiji. Now, what is Mitarashi-san doing here?"

Anko shoots him a glare, growling, "It's Anko, not Mitarashi."

"Okay Anko. What are you doing here?"

Hokage clears his throat, "She is your new partner Naruto. You will work missions with her ranging from high C-ranks to A-ranks. Understood?"

"Old man, I've never done anything less than a high B-rank. I've done over 10 S-rank missions for Hanzo," Naruto pleads.

Ankos' eyes go wide, "Hanzo? As in, Salamander Hanzo? The creepy looking dude with the rebreather?!"

Naruto smiles at her description, "Yeah, your description pretty much sums him up. And yes, I trained under Salamander Hanzo."

Looking into Naruto's eyes, he can tell he is ready. Looking into Anko's eyes, he can see the determination as well and he sighs, relenting, "Okay, I will give you the _occasional_, and I stress occasional S-rank mission if any ANBU aren't in town for the mission."

"Thank you Ojiji," Naruto cheerfully says, stepping behind the desk and giving the Hokage a hug.

The Hokage shots out his pipe, surprised at the blond's actions, "Um, thank you Naruto. Now, you're dismissed and you probably want to know more about Anko-chan I assume. Introduce yourselves over food or something, I'm sure you're tired after the fight with Kakashi."

"Hai," they chorus, disappearing from the room.

Sighing, he smiles gleefully, reaching into his drawer and grabbing his copy of Icha Icha Paradise, "Kukukuku, Shira you naughty girl."

_A/N: So, did you guys like Naruto's Kekkei Genkai?_

_Next Chapter: **Chapter 2: Introductions and First Mission**_

_Remember to R&R and I might post early... like in a couple of days early... kukukuku...  
_


	2. One Winged Angel

_Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. I do not own Naruto or anything affiliated with Naruto._

_A/N: Alright, I'm going to let my fans decide if they want to see a harem or not. In your reviews, vote if you want me to do the harem and out of these girls, I'll take two. You have until chapter 4 to come to a decision. That gives you three chapters to vote! Remember to R&R and enjoy reading the second chapter of Crystals. (Mostly a filler and a little more info is shown on Naruto.)_

_**5**__**th**__** Mizukage**_

_**FemKyuubi**_

_**Tsunade**_

_**Yuugao**_

_**Yugito**_

_**Temari**_

_**Hana**_

**Crystals**

**One Winged Angel**

Two months has passed since Naruto has joined Konoha as a shinobi. At the moment, our favorite hero is in the middle of fighting a group of missing nin with his partner, Mitarashi Anko. Over the last couple of months, they had run a couple of ops together, their mission successes racking into the higher numbers. They had gotten to know each other more, their quirks and their lives that they found eerily similar.

Back to the mission with Naruto, he throws a hail of kunai at the missing nin who easily jumps out of the way, tossing his own hail of kunai at Naruto's position. Dodging three and plucking two out of the air, he tosses them back and pumps them full of wind chakra. The chakra shells begin to take a greenish color as they fly through the air, anything with a foot getting cuts and scrapes from the wind casing. The missing nin, who is very… let's say… stupid, attempts to grab the kunai only to have his hands get cut in a number of ways.

Dropping the kunai quickly, he drops his hand and it hangs limply at his side while his right arm is holding up in a basic taijutsu stance. They stare at each other for a moment before Naruto disappears in a blur making the missing nin go wide eye. He suddenly phases back into vision in front of the nin, his hand already cocking back for a punch. With a crunch, his fist connects with the other man's face and he tumbles to the floor, his body lying in a crumpled heap on the ground. With a quick flick of the wrist, a kunai embeds itself in the man's throat and the blood gushes out of the wound on his neck. A soft gurgling rings through the forest, the last sound the missing nin will ever here.

Severing the head from the body, he stores it inside one of the many storage scrolls he carries with him.

Standing back to full height, he sets off in search of Anko and finds her in the middle of a fight with another missing nin as they go toe to toe, flurries of punches and kicks flying in every direction. They jump back from each other while unleashing a handful of kunai and they all fall to a stalemate, the soft thuds of the kunai hitting the floor awakening the night. A moment later, the missing nin falls to the ground holding his throat as blood gushes through the gaps in his hand. The sound he makes when he hits the floor sends all the birds flying from the trees, their black bodies covering the soft glow of the moon.

Anko lands gracefully next to the missing nin, her trench coat fluttering with the soft wind. She shudders a moment, the wind glancing across her skin and goosebumps begin to appear along her arm. With a shiver, she lowers into a crouch and begins to cut off the missing nin's head when Naruto hears the whistling sound of a kunai in flight. He locates it quickly and finds that not one, but five are heading towards Anko. She isn't aware as she is still cutting off the missing nin's head and even if he calls out, she is done for.

Putting his logical side away for the moment, he goes into action, his legs instantaneously moving as his hair rustles in the wind. His black trench coat waves against his leg, the linen scratching as he pushes his legs to move. He watches at the kunai move closer and he closes his eyes, pumping even more chakra into his legs.

'Please Kami, let me get to her.'

Apparently Kami hears him and he finds himself pushing Anko out of the way and the five kunai embed in his back and he keels over, the blood gushing out from his wounds. He drops to his knees, his hand reaching behind his back and Anko watches him fall. Looking back towards the attacker, she sees him smirk and her eyes flare and she discreetly throws a kunai. The missing nin is still snickering and he does not notice the kunai and it catches him in the throat and he falls lifeless to the forest floor.

Rushing over to a downed Naruto, she drops to her knees and pulls out the kunai in his back and watch as the wounds begin to close, the blood clotting and stemming. His eyes are still closed and she lets outs a tear.

She knew they were getting closer over the last two months. They shared their fair share of stories, bonding over their childhood mishaps. They cried onto each other's shoulders when the memories were too hard to keep down. They often were seen together eating or just hanging out. They laughed, they joked, and on one occasion, they were drunk. That night turned out to be the turning point of their relationship. Well, she was the only one who was drunk. He couldn't get drunk or even buzzed because of the fox in his stomach.

She was wasted, like bombed to hell. They were out that night after a week long mission and they went out to grab a drink or two. That ended up with Anko downing a couple of bottles with Naruto taking a sip here and there.

_**Flashback Begin**_

"_Okay Anko, I think that's enough," he says, pulling her up from her seat._

"_Why? I like sakeee," she slurs._

_He chuckles, "Come on, your bombed as hell and I don't want anybody taking advantage of you."_

"_Oh, you want me all to yourself huh?" Anko smiles._

_He can see the glint in her eyes and he knows what she is going to do, "Anko, you're way too-"_

_His lips are silenced by an open mouth kiss and she sticks her tongue down his throat and he can taste the sake on her tongue. He sighs into the kiss and quickly puts his hands on the sides of her cheek, pushing her face back away from his. She looks into his eyes and can see the serious glint in them, but she disregards it, and takes in the outrage of him stopping the kiss._

"_Why did you stop it?" Anko yells._

"_Not in here. Come on," he quickly says and helps her walk outside. They walk into a deserted side street totally devoid of people. She walks behind him, her body a little tipsy as her feet drag along the ground._

"_So, why did you stop it?" Anko demands._

"_You're drunk and you have no idea what you're doing._

"_So what if I'm drunk, I'm still me. Are you saying I'm not pretty enough for you?" she yells._

_He groans, "No Anko, I'm not saying that you aren't pretty. You're actually very good looking, but that is beside the point. You're drunk and are on the verge of alcohol poisoning. The alcohol has loosened the inhibitions on your tongue and you don't know what you're doing."_

"_But… I want you Naruto-kun. I really do," she mumbles, tears beginning to spill out of her eyes._

"_Anko, I'm not going to beat around the bush, but I like you too, but this has gone too far. You're drunk and you don't know what you're doing. If we go that far, you won't even remember that we did it. If you can tell me you have feelings for me when you're sober, I'll reciprocate them. Not now when you're drunk," Naruto whispers, but the voice is carried by the wind._

_Tears gush out of her eyes and he walks over to her and she clutches his body, burying her face into his chest. He sighs, and rubs her back as she cries onto his shirt. A few minutes later, the sobbing stops and light snores can be heard from the mop of hair on his chest. Picking her up bridal style, he shunshins his way to her apartment and lets himself in, closing the door softly behind him. Walking into her apartment he looks around the virtually barren room._

_A couple of pictures of her and Kurenai lay on the countertop of her kitchen; a small couch sits lonely in the middle of her living room. A small book shelf sits in the corner with books crammed into the middle. For someone who likes to wear a mask of insanity, she likes to read when he saw all those books. Walking into her room, he lays her down on her bed and strips her out of her kunai pouches. He doesn't bother with her clothes as they are already very revealing. Covering her with a blanket, he kisses her on the forehead before he walks out of the room and shunshins away to his own humble abode._

_**Flashback End**_

Back to the present, Anko manages to get Naruto all the way back to Konoha and he is now lying inside a hospital room. The beeping of the medical equipment brings him back to full awareness and he notices a weight on his left hand. Looking up, he finds Anko slumped over in a chair next to him, her hand resting on his own. Her eyes are closed and her face is contorted into a tight lip smile. He looks up at the ceiling for a moment, enjoying the feel of her skin on his. He shifts for a second, his hand skimming the bottom of her hand and she stirs, her onyx eyes fluttering open at his touch.

Taking in the white walls, she looks around and down towards the blue eyed blond who is smiling at her. She returns it and glomps him only to receive a little grunt as his skin is still tender from his wounds. She realizes it and releases him quickly, grinning sheepishly while scratching the back of her head.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun," she grins.

He arcs an eyebrow at the honorific, "What happened after I blacked out?"

"Tossed you over my shoulder and got you to a hospital. We're in Konoha right now. I already reported the mission and he's giving us a week off," Anko happily says, wanting to spend her vacation days with the blond.

"Niiice, I can use some R&R. I might go hit the hot springs later."

Anko's eyes glaze over, remembering the time she caught him half naked. He cocks another eyebrow at the purpled haired kunoichi's expression.

"Anko, you there?"

"Huh?" she instinctively says.

He chuckles, "Nothing, you just got a far away look there. Mind if I ask what you're thinking about?"

She burns a bright red, her cheeks a rosy red, "No!"

He smiles, "Hai, Hai. When can I get out of here?"

"The nurse said you should be good to go once you wake up. Come on, let's go get dango. It's on me."

"You know, you like dango way too much," he chortles while getting up and walking into the bathroom.

She harrumphs, crossing her hands across her chest. Standing up, she straightens herself out, stretching her muscles from the night of sleep in the chair. Cracking her back, she stands up and pads down the ruffles on her trench coat. Naruto comes back a moment later seemingly refreshed with his foxy smile on his face. She stares at his face for a moment before looking down again. He notices and smiles.

"Come on, I thought you wanted to get some dango?" he asks.

She perks up and smirks, "Of course, I can never pass out on some dango."

"As expected of a dango connoisseur."

"Damn right!"

He chuckles and leads her out, opening the door which she smiles at. Quickly following her, they stop at the front desk for Naruto's discharge papers. With a quick motion, the paper signed, they walk out into the starry night of Konoha. The chilly air surrounds them, the soft breeze caressing their skin. They walk in silence, their arms brushing against the others as their arms swing along their side.

A few minutes later, they find themselves inside the warm comfort of the dango shop. Jovial laughing and joking is heard in the back, but they ignore it and take a seat at the counter and flag down a waiter.

"What would you like Miss?" The waiter asks.

"Get me 10 fruit dango and 15 pork dango," Anko smiles happily.

"And for the sir?"

"Get me 10 beef please," he says, nodding his head.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Sake."

"Water is fine."

The waiter nods, scribbling on his notepad their order. He soon rushes off into the kitchen to hand off the order to the chef. A few minutes pass by and the waiter comes back with their drinks and they nod their thanks you. They take a sip of their drinks and sit, waiting for their order.

Turning towards Naruto, "No sake? Are you a lightweight?"

He tilts his head at Anko's barb, "I just got out of the hospital. I don't think it will do any good with me downing sake at the moment right?"

She rolls her eyes, "Spoilsport."

He chuckles and then the waiter comes back with their orders and they dig in, eating with their hands. He soon finishes and watches the purple haired woman eat her way through all her dango. He sweatdrops at the speed she devours them at, putting them into her mouth one after another. She soon finishes, patting her stomach and using a toothpick to get any food in between her teeth.

The night begins to drawl on as they converse about different topics. At the moment, they are on the topic of "what is your favorite dango?"

"Well, I really like Beef…"

"Eh, pork is really good too, but I wouldn't say my favorite…"

"Hm, whatever. It's getting late and I need to get up early tomorrow. I'll walk you home Anko," he says, standing up.

She stands up after him and follows him outside into the cool night air, the wind caressing their tender skin. Silence consumes them, the obvious tension in the air and one can swear they can hear electricity crackling around the two people walking down the street. They soon end up outside her apartment building and they stop walking, opting to face each other. His height dwarfs hers and she has to crane her neck to look up at him.

"It looks like this is my stop," Anko states rather lamely, wishing for this night not to come to an end. A smile comes on Naruto's face before he leans down, giving her a peck on the cheek.

"I guess it is. Good night Anko," he walks off while waving over his shoulder. He disappears around a corner and out of sight of Anko. He doesn't catch her bringing her hand to the cheek he kissed. She lets her finger linger on her cheek, the tingling of his lips still present on her cheek. Blinking a couple of times, she remembers she is still standing in the middle of the street with a big red blush on her face. Walking stiffly into her apartment room, she sheds her clothes and falls onto the bed, her body relaxing into the soft linen. Her mind drifts off into euphoric dreams about a blond with a past similar to hers, a blond that understands her, a blond that knows the real her, not the mask, but the one underneath. A blond that she can learn to love and that can love her back.

***

The week long vacation flies by and they now find themselves back inside the Hokage's office, "Alright, this is an A-rank assassination mission. You're to accompany team 7 and 8 to the Land of Waves. The target resides in the Land of Waves. The genin teams will have a different objective from you. They are escorting a bridge builder, but we have intel that there may be an A-rank missing nin working for Gato, your target. Accompany the two teams and make sure they stay out of harm. Understood?" The Hokage slides a manilla folder over to them which Anko promptly opens.

She smiles and hands it over to Naruto who smiles in turn and the Hokage arcs an eyebrow, "Do I want to know?" A rueful smile appears on Naruto's face and he merely shakes his head. The Hokage sighs and dismisses them with a wave of his hand.

They both disappear in their own shunshins, Naruto leaving in a swirl of water while Anko disappears in a swirl of leaves. They appear on the bridge, the genins jumping back at the vortex of water and leaves. Two figures appear inside the two vortexes, the sun shadowing their backs. Kurenai raises an eye for a second before relaxing, noticing the two figures. Tilting her head, she looks at Anko who has a smirk on her face.

"Hey Nai-chan," Anko giddily says, making the genin squirm at her voice. Kurenai sweatdrops, but waves back anyways. Dragging Naruto along, Anko walks over to Kurenai.

"Hello Anko. I assume you're going on a mission?" Kurenai questions and Anko replies with a nod.

"We're going to Wave Country with you," Anko enthusiastically says. Kurenai and Naruto sweatdrop, and Naruto goes so far as to scratch the back of his head.

"Um yeah, sorry about Anko. We haven't had a mission for a week. Anyways, we're on an A-rank mission that ties with yours. We'll be here to travel with you, but we'll head our separate ways at Wave Country," Naruto informs Kurenai.

"Will the genins be aware of your… mission?" Kurenai asks.

Naruto shakes his head, "Yes, well at least not the A-rank assassination part." He scratches the back of his head sheepishly while Kurenai smiles.

"I guess we'll have to introduce you to the genin teams. Kakashi will be here in a few minutes. Pervert is always late," Kurenai says while rolling her eyes. Naruto just chuckles and shakes his head, taking a seat and leaning his back against the tree. Anko on the other hand, decides to have a little fun with the genin. Spotting the cocky Inuzaka boy, she discreetly takes out a kunai and wets it with her tongue.

Kurenai and Naruto catch the glint in her eyes and sweatdrop. A sadistic grin appears on the face of Anko and she tosses it, the kunai flying through the air towards the unaware Inuzaka boy. The Inuzaka boy feels a swoosh of wind pass his face and then a pale red liquid falls from his cheek. A dull pain erupts on his right cheek and his hands instantly go up to feel out the cut. Touching his wound, he can feel the liquid on his hand and removes it, revealing the red color of blood on his hand. Turning around, he finds his sensei along with two other people by the trees.

His eyes land on the figure leaning against the tree. Looking at him, he can see that his eyes are closed and his hands buried in his blond hair holding the back of his head. He wears a simple black trench coat with the collar wrapping around the bottom of his face. He wears a simple pair of black fingerless gloves and blue getas on his feet. A sword is strapped to his back, the hilt perpendicular to his shoulder. His face is what you can describe feral. A pair of amethyst eyes peak out from the blond hair and three whisker marks blazon each of his cheek.

The woman wears a similar trench coat but in a tan color. A mesh shirt wraps around her body, and he can see some skin, but the trench coat covers her assets generously. Purple hair spikes upward in a pineapple ponytail and an orange mini skirt leave nothing to be desired. ANBU bracers and sandals finish out her wardrobe. Looking at her face, he can see the sadistic grin on her face. He blinks for a moment and she is gone.

A breath at his ear and a tongue on his cheek makes him shudder, "Dog blood. Not the worst, but definitely not the best." She says into his ear, making him shudder. When she says the words, she looks directly at Naruto with a smirk while he retaliates with the roll of his eyes.

When the words reach his ear, he yells, "Hey, what do you think you're doing?" He begins to wriggle in her grip, but a kunai at his neck makes him stop. She grins sadistically, the kunai still pressing against his neck.

"Good boy. Besides, can't a girl have some fun?" Anko grins, making Naruto and Kurenai sweatdrop. Kiba on the otherhand is left thinking how nicking him with a kunai, then licking his blood, and pressing a kunai to his throat is fun. It isn't… well in his eyes.

Seeing the fear in her student's eyes, Kurenai sighs, "Anko, I'd appreciate it if you didn't give my team such a scare." Anko just grins in retaliation before removing the kunai and disappearing a poof of smoke.

"You suck Nai-chan," Anko pouts, making Naruto laugh. Anko shoots a glare at him and he immediately shuts up. Like a light switch, her face breaks out into a smirk. He cocks an eyebrow before shrugging his shoulder while Kurenai laughs at the two antics in the background.

A shy girl with blue hair and pale eyes look over at three, her voice shaky, "K-Kurenai-sensei, who are they?" she says, her fingers poking together in nervousness.

"These two," she says, gesturing to the two other Jounin, "Will be accompanying us to Wave Country. They have a separate mission and will be leaving us as soon as we get to Wave Country. For now, they will be joining us."

Hinata nods her head before taking a good look at the blond and her face reddens and she faints. Naruto cocks an eyebrow and looks at Kurenai, his eyes wanting an answer. She sighs and walks over to her unconscious student and quickly arouses her to full awareness. Blinking for a few moments and looking over at the boy again, a blush develops on her face and turns her face away.

Walking back over to the other two jounin, she sighs, "She has confidence issues. Her father belittles her a lot and with the way he treats her, I wouldn't be surprised about her confidence. I'm just hoping to try and break her out of it." Naruto nods and closes his eyes again, feeling the nature chakra around him. (A/N: Yes, Naruto is a sage, but for which contract?!) He smiles, his eyes still closed while the others look at him oddly.

"What is he doing sensei?" a pink haired girl asks. Kurenai looks at her and shrugs her shoulder and reaches out a hand towards the blond. His eyes shoot open and a smile appears on his face.

"Sorry about that. I was meditating," he grins sheepishly, trying to pass off his control of nature chakra as meditation. Kurenai and Anko appear to agree and they nod their heads. The 6 genin just watch him, while all of them noticing that he is around their age. Shino's eyebrow raises a little bit, but no other tell shows his surprise. Kiba, Hinata, and Sakura stare in surprise while Sai look in indifference. A raven haired boy standing by himself against a tree looks at the blond and notices the age similarity. His mind reaches back and remembers Kurenai telling them that he is a jounin. Unbridled fury builds up in him and he stampedes up the group, his fist clenching at his sides.

Naruto cocks an eyebrow at the raven haired boy who he can only tell is a Uchiha, "Do you need anything Uchiha-san?" The boy unclenches and clenches his fist for a moment before taking a breath.

"Fight me," are his simple words.

He looks at him in confusion, "Um, did you not here Kurenai-san tell you that I'm a Jounin?" Sasuke just glares at him with fury and unclenches and clenches his fist again.

"You're only our age. How are you already a Jounin? And how come I've never seen you around school before?" Sasuke shouts, fury lacing his voice.

Kurenai and Anko glare at the raven haired boy while Naruto puts on a mask of stoicism, "I've worked hard to get where I am Uchiha-san. Your brother did as well so don't go around and think that I can't become a jounin at the age of 15. Besides, as for the Ninja Academy, I graduated when I was 6." He lies, but manages to make it sound very real.

He glares at the blond in fury and the passive look on Naruto's face only fuels the fire, "Fight me." Naruto just rolls his eyes again. Apparently the Uchiha didn't get it when somebody didn't want to fight.

"Uchiha-san, I didn't want to fight before so why would I want to fight now. Besides, it would be pointless as we're about to go on a mission that will take up a couple of weeks. So, keep your mouth shut and be a good boy. Do you think you can do that Uchiha-san?" Naruto says, his voice scathing and scalding on the ears of Sasuke.

Sasuke's glare narrows again, trying to intimidate the blond only to have him yawn in his face. He fumes and storms off, the pink banshee shooting the blond a glare, "Don't talk to Sasuke-kun like that. He is a Uchiha and the last of his clan. If he asks you to do something you should do it."

Naruto opens his eyes, leveling the pink haired girl with his gaze. A chilling voice escapes his throat, "Oh, a fan girl? I feel bad for Kakashi… an emo prick, a dedicated fan girl, and a soulless robot. Oh joy; this is a K.I.A. waiting to happen. Why don't you go comfort your boyfriend instead of assaulting my ears with your worthless voice?"

Sakura glares at him before following Sasuke, leaving the four genin to gawk at the Jounin. He smiles at their expressions, and opens his mouth, "Sorry about that. I don't really like people who think because of some name they can have everything handed to them on a silver platter. Same goes for fan girls. Now, who would you four be?"

Walking over to the sitting blond, they take a seat along with their Anko and Kurenai. Naruto starts off, "Alright, I'll start this off. My name is Uzumaki Naruto. My likes are ramen, my summons, and a certain Jounin," eyes perk up at the last statement, but he pushes forward, "My dislikes are arrogant bastards, pricks who can't see underneath the underneath, and people who look down on other people. My hobbies are training and cooking. My dream is to… protect all my precious people and start a family."

The others nod their heads and when their introductions are over, Kakashi walks into the clearing with Tazuna following him. He looks at the group sitting on the ground and then the two sitting across the clearing. He sighs and walks towards the larger group. He notices the two other jounins conversing with the group.

"What are you two doing here?" Kakashi asks and everybody looks up to find Kakashi looking down at them.

"We're joining you as we also have a mission in Wave Country. We'll tell you about it on the road. For now, let's get this party started," Anko grins happily, pulling Naruto up along with her. She blushes as she notices herself grabbing his hand and she runs off to catch with up with Kurenai. If Anko were too look back, she would have seen the blush on his face at the contact.

***

After explaining the situation to Kakashi, they take off towards Wave Country. Kurenai and Anko walk at the front, the genin standing around Tazuna, and Kakashi and Naruto at the end. Kakashi currently has his nose stuck in his orange book while Naruto hums a little tune to himself. Occasionally, Kakashi lifts his nose up and looks over at the blond, noticing the resemblance to his old sensei, the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. He can see the similar blond hair and the way the amethyst eyes pierce your soul just like the Yondaime.

They continue to walk down the road when the group encounters two water puddles. The four jounins look at the puddle for a second, already seeing through the pitiful genjutsu. Signaling to the other Jounins to let the genin take care of them, they walk on by seemingly oblivious. The two missing-nin in the puddle begin to rise as they walk by, the grins discernable on their face from a mile away. With a quick swing of their chains, they rip through the two jounin in the back, making Sakura scream. Seemingly, Anko and Kurenai also disappear, leaving the genin to take the missing-nin on their own.

"How do you think they'll do?" Kurenai asks, worry lacing her voice. She watches from the bush as her students begin to attack one of the missing-nin.

"I'm sure they'll be fine Kurenai-san. Besides, if things get out of hand, there are four jounins to help out," Kakashi says, with a wave. Kurenai shoots him a glare when she feels a hand on her shoulder. She turns around to find herself staring into Naruto's eyes, a never ending pool of amethyst.

"Don't worry Kurenai-san. They'll be fine. The way they work together is good and they play off each other's weaknesses. This should end in a couple of minutes," Naruto says, a smile forming on his face. His smile reassures her, and he finds her cheek very warm. A few moments later, the two missing-nin are stuck to a tree by their chain, by courtesy of Uchiha Sasuke. Detaching themselves from the chain, they split apart with Sai and Sasuke fighting one with team 8 fighting the other. Sasuke and Sai manage to kill there opponent while team 8 subdues theirs.

Naruto smirks from his position next to Kurenai, "Told you so ne? Come on; let's go greet your genins." Kurenai shoots him a glare before standing up and following his lead back to the path. All the genin are panting from the fight, and they all look up bug eyed to find the four jounins with smiles on their faces.

"Good job guys," Kakashi says, his eyes crinkling into an upside down "U". He looks over the genin and look at them all panting, "Alright, take a break. As for you," he turns to Tazuna, "We are going to talk."

The expression on Tazuna's face is one of sheer terror and then Anko looks at the unconscious missing-nin, "May I?" A sadistic grin shows up on her face and Kakashi takes a step back and nods his head slowly. Anko's grin widens and she bares her teeth and grabs onto the missing-nin, dragging him into the dense forest. Naruto just shakes his head at his partner while Kurenai stares after her friend.

Loud shrieks and screams can be heard from the forest a few minutes later, making the three jounin sweatdrop and everybody else to look at the sound in fear. They shudder as Anko walks back out with the missing-nin barely breathing and various cuts and blood stains embellishing his body. Anko sports a giant grin, one that makes people piss their pants and roll over. The genin's take one look at her and they turn away, their eyes trying to avoid the piercing gaze of the snake lady.

"What did you get from them Anko?" Naruto questions, his eyebrows cocking. He shudders as he sees the sadistic grin appear on Anko's face.

"They're the demon brothers. C-rank missing-nin from Kiri. Apparently they were hired by our target to get rid of him," Anko points at Tazuna, "And there are two other missing-nin in on this operation. Name's are Momochi Zabuza and Momochi Haku."

Naruto shakes his head, "An A-rank missing nin from Kiri and an unknown. How troublesome, "Naruto questions before turning to Kakashi, "Did you get anything off the bridge-builder?"

"He explained why and who is after him. He paid for a C-rank mission because he had no money. This is probably a lower A-rank bordering regular A-rank mission," Kakashi explains.

"We should get the genin out of here then," Kurenai says, her motherly instincts taking over. Naruto shakes his head at her idea.

"They are all too mindset on giving up now. Only Sakura will want to back out, while all the others will rally to make a point. There is no use so let them go. Besides, 4 jounins should be able to take the Demon of the Mist," Naruto states, conviction in his voice.

Kurenai sighs in defeat, "I suppose so. We'll have to report this back though."

"Already have it covered Kurenai-san," Naruto says. Whispering,"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique) **a puff of smoke appears around the seal for the summoning.

"What do you need Naruto-sama?" a voice from inside the smoke asks.

"Get this message to the Hokage as soon as you get back to Konoha," Naruto says, sticking his hand into the smoke.

"Hai, Naruto-sama," the cloud of smoke disappears in the direction of Konoha.

"What kind of summoning is that?" Kurenai asks, while Anko smiles gleefully from behind her. Kakashi looks up from his book and waits for his answer.

Turning back to the other three jounin, "Now telling would be too easy. I'll show it soon enough. Alright, we should get going. We want to get to the boat before nightfall." The three other jounin nod with his assessment and the two Jounin-sensei inform their teams of the updated news on the mission. They act just like way Naruto predicts, most of them, save Sakura, wish to continue the mission.

"Alright Tazuna, looks like we are continuing this mission for your sake. We still require the C-rank pay, but we will not force the A-rank pay," Naruto says, making the bridge builder sigh in relief. Naruto's eyes soften for a moment, "We'll do our best to protect you and get you back to your family unharmed."

The bridge builder smiles, a new found respect found for the blond, "Thank you." Naruto just smiles back before ushering him to join the group as they take off. This time around finds Naruto and Anko in the back, discussing over their portion of the mission.

"So, how are we doing this? I know we're sticking with the genins for a bit and leaving at Wave, but what about Zabuza?" Anko questions, tilting her head to look at Naruto. He takes a contemplative look and then looks at her.

"Zabuza is definitely working with Gato so it will be hard to infiltrate his base. I think drawing him out would be a good idea. I doubt he's going to pay Zabuza for his work. Most likely is going to kill him when the jobs finished or he finds no use in him anymore," Naruto says, his analysis over. Anko mulls it over for a bit before giving her own two cents.

"Good idea, so we stick with the genin the whole time and bait him out by using the bridge builder?" Anko cocks an eyebrow.

"Exactly," Naruto smiles and gives her a single handed hug, which Anko blushes into. He lets go and Anko pouts at losing the feeling of his arm on hers. They continue to walk until they approach the boat that will take them to Wave. Since there are only so many seats, Anko and Naruto opt to walk on the water next to the boat instead. A thick mist begins to roll in, covering the water with a white fog. They soon make it to the other side of the river where the fog is just as thick.

They all hop out of the boat and continue their trek through the dense white mist and then a whooshing sound can be heard. Kakashi yells, "DUCK!" and drags down his team with Kurenai doing the same. Naruto pushes Anko down while pulling out his sword and intercepting the flying blade with his own katana. He swats it into the ground, the head of the blade burying into the ground.

A voice erupts through the mist, "8 points, larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, subclavian artery, heart. 8 points if struck will leave you dead in mere minutes." The voice cackles for a moment before disappearing inside the mist.

Four pairs of eyes narrow, and Kakashi yells out, "Protect the bridge builder, this is way beyond you. Let the four of us handle it. GO, NOW!" The six genin scramble into formation, all of them holding out a kunai in front of them, their eyes showing fear.

"Looks like I have to go through all of you? So, who do we have here," the voice says through the mist, "Hatake Kakashi, the copy-nin. The Genjutsu Mistress, Yuuhi Kurenai, the Snake Mistress, Mitarashi Anko, and a no name Jounin. What a ragtag group this is."

"Momochi Zabuza, A-ranked missing-nin from Kiri. Supposedly the leader of a failed Coup d'état on the Mizukage of Kiri. Master in the art of Silent killing," Naruto states blandly.

"Oh, so one of you know me huh? This will be a pleasure," the now revealed Zabuza laughs before he feels the steel of a kunai at his throat. He blinks for a moment before the slide of steel presses against his neck. He shatters into drops of water and it splatters across the ground.

The real Zabuza watches from a tree, amazed at the speed. He didn't even notice the blond moving and he wonders how he can see through the mist.

"Hello Zabuza," a voice says behind him and he turns around, catching the face of the Jounin. The mist quickly dispels with a shout of, "**Kaze No Yaiba (Blade of Wind)**." The mist rapidly dissipates, revealing Zabuza standing on the water. His eyes go wide as the man behind him lands gracefully on the ground.

Looking at his face once more, he notices the same features. The blond hair, amethyst eyes, the signature clothes and sword and he whispers, "**Ichihane Tenshi (One Winged Angel)**." It is loud enough to here, all of them turning to the sordid face of fear on Zabuza.

"Who is that?" Kurenai asks, wondering what the man can be talking about. Zabuza's eyes belie the fear lying in them and he turns towards the four jounin.

"Are you serious? You didn't know the **Ichihane Tenshi** is traveling with you? S-rank nin from Amegakure with a flee on sight order? Fuck Gato, I'm fucking out of here. Haku, we're getting the fuck out of here. MOVE!" Zabuza yells, running across the water before a masked hunter-nin begins to follow him.

The genin begin to move to pursue, but a glare from the for jounin make them stop. Kakashi then turns to Naruto with a questioning look, "Who are you?" Naruto sighs before taking out a bingo book and tossing it to Kakashi. Kakashi catches it and looks up at Naruto with a confused expression.

"Turn to the Ame section," Naruto says. Kakashi does and his visible eye grow wide and he drops the book, his hands shaking. Anko and Kurenai wonder what can make Kakashi go like that so Anko picks up the book, staring at the entry under **Ichihane Tenshi**. Her eyes grow wide before giving it to Kurenai and she drops the book. The genin watch in rapt attention, the information of an S-rank nin among them very intriguing.

Finally recovering from his shock, Kakashi shakily says, "You're the one who destroyed more than a thousand shinobi in the Fourth Great Shinobi War of Amegakure…?"

Naruto nods his head before sighing, "We need to talk about this later. For now, let's get him home, I doubt we're going to get any more opposition from here on out."

Anko immediately says in a quiet voice, "Why didn't you tell me? I thought… I thought you trusted me Naruto. We're partners, I told you so much about me and you neglected to tell me about this? Why?" Naruto turns to see Anko with her head down and Kurenai glaring at him. He sighs before walking over to her and pulls her into a hug before Kurenai can do anything.

He whispers in her ear, his voice soft, "I didn't know what you would think of me. You've become an important person to me ever since we've gotten to know each other. I'd rather sacrifice my life if it means you are able to live. If word were to get out about you knowing me, people would come at you to get to me. I'd rather not put you in danger. That is why I kept it a secret." His voice is soft and soothing, pleasing to her ear. His warm breath tickles her earlobe and she rocks in his arms. Kurenai watches as her best friend allows an actual man to hold her, one that doesn't hold any malice or hidden agendas.

Anko notices the hesitation in his voice and the message behind his words. Leaning into him, she whispers into his ear, "What are you trying to say Naruto-kun?"

He takes a deep breath before continuing, "I guess what I'm trying to say is… what I'm trying to say is… I… l- l-" a shout stops him from finishing and he looks towards the six genin. Sasuke has his fist clenched again, fire in his eyes in an angry expression.

With the moment broken, Naruto drops his head onto her shoulder and grunts into it. Anko stares daggers into the boy and lets out enough killing intent to make him want to piss his pants. Combining with hers is Naruto's a more malevolent one that ensures nightmares of the highest degree. Sasuke begins to back away, his eyes revealing his fear. All the genin watch as the Rookie of the Year begins to shake from the concentrated killing intent.

"That's enough, we all still have mission to do," Kakashi says, looking at the six genin. Naruto grunts again and Anko's face saddens for a moment at missing his confession. With one last glare at the Uchiha, she breaks away from the hug and gives him a sympathetic look which he returns with a sad smile.

"I really want to rip him limb from limb right now," Naruto mumbles, making Anko giggle. He finds the sound very refreshing and soothing and a half smile appears on his face.

"Come on Naruto-kun, we still have a dictator to kill," Anko says, pulling Naruto towards the already moving group. He smiles and lets her drag him towards the group. They soon catch up; the genin giving him scared looks while the two Jounins look at him in a new light. A very jovial man that can kill with the bat of an eyelash. Truly dangerous. When they each the group, Kurenai pulls Anko away from Naruto and sneds him an apologetic smile.

When the two are alone in the front, Kurenai turns to Anko with a smirk on her face, "Was he really going to save what I think he was going to say Anko-chan?" Anko's can feel her cheeks heat up and a blush develops on her face.

She looks over at her best friend and gives her a sad smile, "I don't know what he was going to say. That Uchiha bastard interrupted us and I missed it. Ugh, damn brat, if he weren't the pet of the counsel and a shinobi of the Leaf, I'd rip him in half." Kurenai looks back at Sasuke who still has the broody face on.

"You know Anko, I've never seen you like this before. Enamored over a guy, a very hot guy at that," Kurenai says, a blush developing on her face. Anko notices and smirks before smiling again.

"I know, I've never felt this before. Whenever I'm by him, I just feel safe and wanted. He treats me like an equal and he understands how I feel. He can see the real me and get past the one I show in the public. My heart soars and beats quicker every time our skin comes in contact whether it be a brush or a hug. I just feel so right in his arms," Anko dreamily says, relishing in the feeling of his arms wrapping around her body. Kurenai just watches Anko's face as is transitions through different emotions and she wonders if the blond really can be all Anko wants in a person.

Anko all of a sudden smirks, "Don't think I forgot about that blush missy," Kurenai glares daggers at Anko who laughs, then her smile grows deviously, "He's mine… unless you want to share him…?" Anko's eyes twinkle in mirth at Kurenai's dumb expression.

Kurenai's eyes go wide before whispering, "What?"

"You know, the CRA? He needs multiple wives and I'm wondering if you want to get in on this," Anko smirks as Kurenai's eyes glaze over. She mulls it over before pulling out of her trance.

"I don't know Anko, I don't even know him. How can I trust him, he didn't even trust you about his identity in the bingo book!" Kurenai whispers.

"He's afraid you know," Kurenai cocks an eyebrow, "He's afraid of what people will think of him when they hear about what he's done. He has always been labeled a monster, a demon of the village and his insecurities make him lack trust in people."

Kurenai nods in understanding, "I can understand him. I don't know, I don't know anything about him."

"Just talk to him Kurenai, he's a fairly astute individual. A lot better than Asume or Kakashi," Kurenai blushes at the former, "Yes, I know about Asuma's little crush on you, but trust me, Asuma has nothing on Naruto."

Kurenai stays silent, mulling over the information about the blond.

'Maybe I should to get to know him better. If Anko can trust him, why can't I?' Kurenai thinks before putting it away later for further though.

***

A blond in the back of the group sneezes and draws the attention of the six genin and he grins sheepishly, "Someone must be thinking about me."

'I hope it's Anko.'

***

Anko sneezes, 'I hope Naruto is thinking about me.'

***

In the Hokage's office, the Sandaime is slacking on the paperwork to read Icha Icha. A swirl of leaves appear in front of his face and he puts the book away, the smile on his face forming. Apparently the other person doesn't return the smile. A silver haired man with a green shirt with a red vest on top appears in front of the Sandaime's desk. The Kanji for oil sits on his forehead protector and his silver hair cascades around the side of his headband.

His face is passive, fire in his eyes, "Care to explain to me why you never told me Naruto is alive?"

The Sandaime gulps at the passive and emotionless voice of Jiraiya that is far from the normal, "Jiraiya, I can explain…"

"Make this quick. I'm 5 minutes from going on a rampage," Jiraiya says, fires dancing behind his eyes. Taking a deep breath to stabilize himself, he begins…

_A/N: Oh, Jiraiya is back early! I always loved Jiraiya's character. Funny yet serious when the time calls for seriousness. Anyways, that is chapter 2 and I might be able to get out another chapter next week. See you on the flipside. You also have until chapter 4 to vote on the poll. Well, Ja ne._

_-HATEmach1ne _


	3. Liberation

_Disclaimer: Don't own nothing. Ask Kishi for it._

_A/N: Blah._

**Crystals**

**Liberation**

"_Moving into position," a voice says over the radio._

"_Roger that, I'm in position. Get ready to move. On three," another voice says, this one being much younger._

"_1"_

"_2"_

"_3! GO!," the younger voice yells. Hordes of armed shinobi begin to descend on the meeting of the opposing force. Kunai and shuriken rain down on them, the steel blacking out the setting sun. Screams of pain and terror erupt from the group and they all scramble in desperation to get away from the rain of weapons. Moments later, bodies litter the ground, their blood running together to create a massive stream. _

_A lone figure watches from the top of a tree, surveying the damage. His blue eyes the carnage let loose from the salvos of kunai and shuriken. Barking into his radio, "Clean 'em up boys. Good work."_

_Then a yell erupts through the microphone and he winces as his eardrum is assaulted by the high pitch of the scream. Barking into his radio again, "What's going on down there? Give me a sit rep!"_

"_The A-Angel is h-here! RUN!," the man screams through his radio for it hits the ground and shatters. Cursing under his breath, he jumps from his vantage point and locates the chakra signature of the "Angel." Rushing towards it, he pulls out his katana, the black blade gleaming against the shine of the buried kunai and shuriken. He soon locates "Angel" raining paper on a group of his men._

_Their screams of terror and pain assault his ear and he watches as her paper rips them to shreds, their organs bodies spilling to the ground. Spitting at the ground, he quickly makes handseals, "__**Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet)**__." The rain begins to dance, the drops molding together to create a massive dragon of water which quickly descends on the still turned "Angel of Amegakure."_

_It crashes upon her and he watches in rapt attention, not believing that she can be killed so easily. The water splatters to the ground, her body nowhere to be seen. A moment later, she appears, her body assimilating from paper. A pair of angel like wings begin to form from paper, attaching to her back._

_He looks at her figure from the ground as she hovers steadily in the air. He looks up and catches her bright purple eyes with his own amethyst. He looks up at them and notices that they don't hold an aura of malice or deceit. They are eyes of a woman who is trapped in a downward spiral ready to break loose and fall to the ground. His arms drop from their loose stance and fall to his side and she tilts her head to the left minimally._

"_Why are you doing this?" he asks out of the blue, stunning her for a second before putting her face back into a passive face. She mulls it over for a second, her brain tinkering and working for an answer._

"_To bring peace," she answers. She watches his eyes, slowly getting lost in the endless maze of amethyst. They seem to go on forever, the depth never ending. His mouth opens and a chuckle escapes his throat, the raspy voice jumping into her ear canals._

"_Peace? You call this peace?" he says, waving his hands at the broken battlefield. Blood splatters the ground, swords stick out of the ground, the hilts swaying in time with the wind. Kunai lay buried to the hilt in the softening ground and shuriken dig their pointed spikes into the brown dirt._

"_You wouldn't understand. You are merely just a boy caught in a war over his head," Naruto scoffs, and his mouth opens again to let out a humorless chuckle. He shakes his head from side to side, his chuckling striking a nerve in Konan._

"_Wouldn't understand? Why wouldn't I understand the mindless carnage that rages around us at this exact moment? How can this world be in peace when so many before us have fought and lost fighting for the same thing? How many people will have to put their lives on the line to see it happen? As long as human beings exist, there will never be peace. There will always be hatred, greed, and lust," he says tonelessly, making her flinch at the emotionless tone he uses._

_Steeling her now quickly dissolving beliefs, she rounds on him, "Yet you fight. What do you fight for? Tell me? If not for peace, then for what?" She questions him, her voice moving before she can give thought to her voice._

_He looks directly in her eyes, and says with conviction, "I fight to protect the people I care for. I may work for Hanzo, but I've learned how to retain my humanity unlike my sensei. We, as humans, have emotions. We will become mindless killing machines if we don't acknowledge our emotions. Take your leader for example, bringing peace to a land ravaged by war by causing suffering?"_

_Taking a deep breath, he quickly continues, "Suffering only causes more suffering. Pain only causes more pain. Hate only causes more hate. Your leader puts his entire being into a plan that will self-destruct in his face if he continues forward with it. It will cost the lives of many, and aggravate that many more. He calls himself a God? What kind of God can watch as his disciples mindlessly die at his own hands to bring peace. What kind of example is that setting for those in the future that come after him? What can they say about a man that brought peace through pain, fear, and suffering? They only follow his example, bringing peace the only way they know how. By causing suffering which is in no way a form of peace. Do you see his ways, the flaws in his reasoning?"_

_Konan's confidence wavers for a moment, taking the words in of a 13 year old boy. Shaking her head once, she questions, "How do you know so much? You are barely what? 13 years of age? Yet you know so much of the human world. Tell me, how do you know?" The words pan out from her mouth, her curiosity overpowering her senses at the moment._

_His eyes twinkle for a moment, the years of combat and training returning in full force. He opens his mouth and quietly says, "You could say… I've been forced to grow up. I've grasped the psyche of human beings, knowing their works and what not. I can tell you have your doubts about your master's plans. Just by the way you are now hovering in the air, your body slightly bobbing up and down. I can read people, it's just who I am and the effect of being forced to grow up so early."_

_Her eyes sadden for a moment, thoughts of the boy losing his childhood, being forced to learn how to kill at such an early age. Living in a place like Amegakure can do that to you. She watches his face, seemingly passive, but she can see the fire alight behind the pupils of his cerulean amethyst eyes. They seem to crackle, pop, and spark with intensity, the orange flames burning brightly._

"_Why are you telling me this?" she asks. They stay silent for a few moments, letting him contemplate his answer. The wind whips around them, their hair swaying in tune with the wind. The wind howls against their eardrums, the sound deafening, yet they hear each other with perfect clarity._

_A few minutes later, he lifts his down trodden head. His eyes are laden in determination, shocking her with their intensity, "I wanted to tell you this because I think you deserve a second change." His words shock her to her very core, the fire within her that dimmed so long ago beginning to spark and burn slowly._

_She whispers out a measly, "Why?" Her voice is raspy and heavy with emotion, the first time she has shown them in almost over a decade ever since the death of Yahiko. Looking at the boy once more, she can still see the strength of his gaze unwavering. His mouth opens again, answering her question, "You ask why? I did this because you are only doing this for the sake of your leader. You only follow him because he is the last thing you have and believe in. I'm giving you a second chance by believing in me. Believe in me and I will be able to take away this world of sorrow. Just believe in me and trust me."_

_His voice is fueled by passion, an emotion long lost on the blue haired woman. She watches his eyes burn even more, the fire behind his eyes becoming a roaring inferno of passion and strength. She can see the hidden strength and grace is the way he uses his words, stringing them together to give her a very idealistic look on her now shattered beliefs._

"_How can I trust you? How do I know you will not turn your back on me?" she questions, her voice beginning to waver again. He looks at her with conviction and he drops all his weapons, his kunai pouch and sword dropping to the ground in quick thuds._

"_That's how," is his simple answer. She looks at him in a new light. Having the guts to drop your weapons in complete trust your enemy is something that is not heard of. But looking into his eyes, she can see the unbridled truth in his words, no hint of deceit or malevolence playing in them._

_Her mind struggles to choose a side, the one that the blond has shown her or the one that her oldest… merely acquaintance now has shown her. Who can she trust? This young boy or the person she has followed in her own life. That one that she has let dictate the last decade of her. With that thought, she comes to a decision, one that even surprises herself._

"_I… I will put my belief in you. I can see in you the determination to end this madness of war between Hanzo and my leader. I have been living a life that is dictated by the man that I once called my friend. You have opened my eyes to this true nature, a man with an obsession to bring the world to his knees. I will do what you wish," Konan complies, shocking even herself with her outburst._

_Naruto smiles, his teeth showing and baring his fangs, "Good choice Konan-chan. You have made a wise decision. I will not dictate your life and you may go about this any way you like, but I wish you to stay with Akatsuki and spy on them for me. I will find you a year from today every year for an exchange of information. Until then Konan-chan-"_

"_Wait!" she shouts, her voice easily rushing through the air, "What is your name?"_

_He smiles and simply says, "Uzumaki Naruto. Pleasure meeting you Konan. Your beauty is dazzling. Until we meet again, goodbye." He disappears in a swirl of water, leaving nothing behind but a puddle of water where he once stood._

_Her hand feels her cheek, the warmth pulsating under her hand. He simply called her beautiful and adding the suffix –chan to her name, and she was this flustered? It is understandable after all. It has been so long since somebody has given her affection and this has been close enough. Sighing to herself, she surveys the field of dead carcasses, falcons and vultures diving to feast upon the rotting corpse of humans. Her face turns into one of disgust and this only furthers her belief in one Naruto Uzumaki._

"_I will not fail you Naruto-kun," she whispers before disappearing and leaving behind the dead bodies to the scavenging birds._

***

"_Hanzo!"_

_Hanzo turns around, finding his apprentice behind him with a ragged look. His hair is askew, the blond hair haggard. His clothes are ripped in several places, some just being giant holes._

"_Get out of here Gaki. You're no match for this guy!" Hanzo shouts, trying to keep himself steady on the gigantic salamander._

"_But sensei-" Hanzo cuts him off with a glare._

"_No Naruto. Get back to Konoha. I'm pretty sure your father and your mother want you back there. Don't worry about me, but carry on the legend of your father and the salamander contract. Now go and make me proud," he shouts before turning around as the gigantic salamander lights up one of Pein's summons. The ground shakes and the summons roar, the sound deafening to those who can't stand such loud noise. Naruto winces as the salamander sustains a cut to his left leg._

"_GET OUT NOW!" Hanzo shouts, as jutsu begin to fly around the battlefield. With one last look, Naruto takes off in the opposite direction, paying homage to his sensei's final request. He runs as fast as his legs will take him, becoming a blur to those who can't keep up. He soon leaves the confines of Ame, the city now being plowed down by the gigantic summons. He forces himself to keep going, no looking back as he runs away from his home._

_He stops a few hours later to catch his breath. After a few minutes rest, he begins to create handsigns and forces his palm into the ground, seals beginning to spread from the middle. A giant puff of smoke appears, and the figure crashes most of the trees around it._

"_**Naru-chan?" **__the summon says as the smoke clears. Naruto looks up into the eyes of the salamander king, __**Joushi**__._

"_Is he…" Naruto trails off, afraid to let the sentence end._

"_**I'm sorry Naru-chan, he's gone from this world,"**_ _Naruto nods, hanging his head and letting a single tear drop out of his eye._

"_**He wouldn't want to see you like this Naru-chan. Remember, his last wish was for you to carry this contract with pride Naru-chan,"**__ Naruto looks up into the boss summon's eyes before nodding his head._

"_He did and I will honor his wish. Thank you Joushi," Naruto says, bowing his head to the salamander king._

"_**That's the spirit Naru-chan. Call me when you need me again. Goodbye and until next time," **__the boss summon leaves in a puff of smoke, leaving Naruto alone again. Naruto sighs before lying his head down inside the tent and manages to doze off without dreams for the night._

***

Opening his eyes, he lets the sunlight into his eyes for a moment before blinking rapidly to dispel them. After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling, he sighs and hops out of bed and heads into the shower. The warm water washes over him, the sound of the shower the only thing that he can hear. 15 minutes later, he walks out with his clothes on, a simple black turtleneck and black ANBU style pants. He pulls on some black fingerless gloves and straps his sword to his back. He then pulls on his getas and attaches his kunai holster to his right thigh. Checking himself over, he deems himself ready and steps out into the hall, the house still silent. Snores can be heard through the walls, most of them coming from the boy's rooms.

Creeping his way downstairs, he does so silently, no noise from his soft footfalls. He silently slips into the living room, discreetly opens the front door, and walks out into the clearing in front of the home. The lake glistens to his left, tiny little gems shining in the light of the sun. He stands there for a few moment before he feels a presence coming from the house and walk out in the clearing. She lets out a long yawn and covers her mouth, alerting him of who it is.

"Good morning Anko," Naruto says, flashing her a grin. She glares at him before yawning again, not even bothering to cover her mouth.

"Come on, I want to get out of this depressing country. Let's get this asshole and get out of here," she says.

"Hai, Hai. Let's get going. Let's walk around shall we?" Naruto says, walking off and quickly followed by Anko. They walk around town, trying to gain any information they can from the locals. An hour later, they finally go through all the shops with very little information.

"Looks like we're on our own here Anko," Naruto sighs, looking at the glistening sea.

"Check the coasts. I assume he'll be closer to those areas as he runs the shipping company. Let's scout the area for a bit for any possible locations," Anko says.

"Alright, I'll check west, you get east. Meet North in an hour."

"Alright, see you then," Anko says, jumping away at a quick pace. Naruto then takes off as well, his clothes rustling in the wind as he jumps from roof to roof.

***

An hour pasts and finds Naruto and Anko conversing on a roof across the way from Gato's base, "Patrols around the base. 15 minute intervals."

Anko nods before setting her sights back on Gato's base of operations, "How do we get in there?" Naruto's mind begins to work, bouncing ideas around in his head.

"Let's observe for now. There's so little information to work on at the moment," Naruto says, his eyes gazing over the castle like structure. Anko sighs before lying on her stomach, her hands holding her head up. They stay like that for a few hours in silence, the exception being Anko's complaints. He just smiles whenever she does and looks back towards the castle.

"Alright, I think I've got it," Naruto says out of the blue.

"Finally! I thought you were a genius, but that sure did take you a while."

"Oh shut up. Alright, I've noticed that patrols switch off every three hours. On the next patrol swap, we're going to head in through that window," he points to the window on the east that brushes against a couple of trees, "Once inside, we'll search room by room. Kill any goons you meet. Remember our objective is to kill the leader. Grab any information we can use and any money we can take to save Wave."

Anko nods, "Patrols swap in 10 minutes. Head over to the trees now."

Once 10 minutes pass and the guards begin to swap places, they take off, their movements quick and silent. They leave no trace of their existence and they make it to the tree rather quickly. Naruto silently opens the window, motioning for Anko to go in first. Jumping inside, she has a kunai ready and set to strike as she hops in. She lands with a small thud, her arms poised and ready to react to any threats. Seeing the room is clear, she motions for Naruto to go in. Stepping inside he leaves the window open just in case they need an egress point.

Moving over to the door, Naruto opens it and looks down the hall and sees no one. He begins to go door to door, ducking his head in and out to check for any lackys. Moving down the hall, he embeds a couple of kunai in the face of some lower level grunts before stalking down the hall with Anko bringing up the rear. Motioning for her to stack up, he nods his head and turns the doorknob that leads him into a vast room. The room itself contains very little, just a simple desk with papers strewn all over it. A man sits behind the desk and his eyes duck up at the unfamiliar faces.

"Who the fu-" he is cut off as a kunai lodges in his throat, sending him backwards over his chair. He lands in a heap, the blood staining the floor red with his crimson essence. Moving over to the desk, he begins to gather important documents on exports and imports, time tables, and other things. Sealing them in storage scrolls, he beckons for Anko to follow him.

They make it back to the same room with little resistance, meeting only one thug on their way there. A kunai embeds into his throat and he lands on the floor, both of them dragging him into an empty closet. They hope back out the window, Naruto closing it and then they hop off towards the village, the information they have safely tucked away.

They make it back to Tazuna's house late at night, the house completely plunged into darkness. They stop outside the door with smiles on their faces, "Mission accomplished. I'll give these papers to Tazuna tomorrow and he will take over Gato's shipping company. Quick and easy."

Anko nods, "Yah. I'm going to go to bed. I don't know about you, but I'm dirt tired. Good night." She walks away, picking the door's lock rather easily and letting herself in. He begins to go through the familiar hand seals of the **Kuchiyose no Jutsu**. The same seals begin to develop and in a puff of smoke, a tiny salamander in a maroon color emerges from the smoke.

Handing over a scroll, he tells the salamander, "Get these back to Konoha. Give it to the Hokage and tell them we'll be back with the next day." The salamander nods its head and slithers off, it's body and tail swinging side to side as it moves. After the salamander moves out of sight, he opens the door in the same manner as Anko and walks over to his bedroom, taking off his sword but not bothering to remove any of his clothes. He slips inside, the duvet covering his torso for the night. He closes his eyes and succumbs to the darkness of the room that feels so inviting.


	4. Interlude: Some Flashbacks

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and anything affiliated to the characters. Any likeness or similarity to a character is just a coincidence and should be regarded as such. Thank you and have a nice day!_

_A/N: Mmm, we get into the more meaty parts of the story soon! Ending Wave arc next chapter and going AU until the Chunin exams two months after. Some missions, a little headway, and a whole lot of other things. Harem will be released next chapter! I will also begin to start chapters with little flashbacks here and there to give you a little peek of Naruto's younger life._

**Crystals**

**Interlude: A Little Flashback**

"_Naruto, wake up," a gruff voice says. He can tell it is mechanically engineered as it sounds distorted when the voice speaks._

_An 8 year old Naruto grudgingly wakes up, his first few days of training finally taking his toll on him. Cracking open an eye, he lets his eyes adjust to the dazzling rays of sunlight as they file their way into his pupil. He looks around the room to find his sensei leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed in front of his chest._

"_Be ready in 10 minutes. We're going to do something special today. Don't be late," Hanzo says before walking out of the doorway, his footfalls against the wood growing smaller as he walks away._

"_Damn old man…" Naruto grumbles as he stumbles towards his closet. Using one hand to cover his yawn, another hand opens and gropes around the drawer, grabbing a pair of undergarments, a loose Tee-shirt and a pair of pants._

_He quickly pulls on his clothes, letting the coolness of the soft fabric caress his skin. With another yawn for good measure, he closes the drawer and walks out of his room and into the corridor. A red carpet seems to lead him to the living room where he finds his sensei waiting for him. With a quick waving motion, Hanzo walks out the front door, Naruto following on his heels. _

_They walk into a small clearing, the trees reaching heavenward. The canopy filters light through, flashes of it bathing certain patches of the grass a greenish yellow. The bark of the trees chip off in certain areas, exposing the orange sap as it oozes out of the trees core. The green leaves spring outward from their branches, casting shadows along the ground floor of the clearing._

"_Naruto, come here," Hanzo says as he takes a seat in the middle of the clearing. Following Hanzo's actions, he takes a seat in a meditative pose, his legs crossing together in front of him._

_Hanzo reaches into one of his pouches, his hands searching for something. A moment later, the rustling of his hand stops and he pulls out a piece of paper. Naruto cocks an eyebrow, wondering why that piece of paper is so important, "Hanzo-sensei, what is that piece of paper for?"_

"_This Naruto, is an elemental chakra paper. This will show us what element affinities you have like I have an affinity for water and wind. Force chakra into it and depending on how the leaf reacts, we will know what element you are. If you have fire, the leaf will ignite and turn to ash. If wind, it will be cut in half. If it is lightning, the paper will crumple. If it is earth, the paper will turn to dirt. If it is water, it will dampen. Now take it and force chakra into the paper," Hanzo says, handing the small piece of chakra paper over._

_Putting it into his right hand, he holds it up with his thumb and index finger. He molds chakra through his fingers, letting the bluish tinge surrounding his body into the small piece of paper. The effect is almost instantaneous as the leaf cuts itself in half. What is surprising though is that instead of just falling to the ground, one half turns into dirt and the other becomes dripping wet, a drop of water dropping from its surface. Hanzo looks on in interest, merely cocking his eyebrow at the new development._

"_Um sensei? Is this normal? It seems like I have three affinities," Naruto says, turning towards his teacher._

_Hanzo tilts his head for a moment, "No Naruto, it isn't," Naruto droops his head, "No, not normal in a bad way. It is rare to have two, let alone three affinities. This is very interesting as I have a long list of my own wind and water jutsu. For the Earth jutsu, we will have to visit my personal library. For now, let us work on a simple Water jutsu…"_

_**1 Month Later**_

"_**Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Projectile)," **__Naruto shouts, forming only ten hand seals instead of the normal fifty._

"_Good job Naruto. Now, I want to see this joint jutsu you have been working on," Hanzo says, taking a step back after observing the destruction of the water dragon. Naruto grins before he relaxes again, taking deep breaths to calm himself._

_He closes his eyes for a moment before opening them again, __**"Doton: Doryuudan no Jutsu (Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet)!"**__ A mud dragon begins to form next to him as he flies through another set of hand seals, __**"Hyoton: Hyoryuudan no Jutsu (Ice Release: Ice Dragon Projectile)."**_

_Another ice dragon forms behind him and he directs it to strike at the newly formed mud dragon. It strikes it, encasing the mud dragon in a layer of thin blue ice, __**"Kyuushojutsu: Mikusotoryuudan no Jutsu (Secret Technique: Mixed Dragon Projectile). "**__ The iced over dragon at Naruto's side begins to spit balls of ice at the tree, the tress crumbling under the pressure of the hit. The shards of ice scatter as they hit their targets, turning into pointy barbs as they scatter. They fly for another 10 feet, finally stopping and embedding into the trees around them._

_Hanzo begins to clap, awed by the mix of jutsu his apprentice used, "Good work Naruto. Good display of mixed jutsu. Now, since you have many jutsu for your affinities to work on, create three sets of shadow clones of 30. Split them into three groups of 10 and have them work on a separate jutsu of each element. I am now going to teach you how to use the other elements, but this will be more laborious and rigorous as it is very difficult to manipulate an element that is opposite to your own. Now, let's start…"_

_**3 Months Later**_

"_**Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" **__Naruto shouts. A water dragon forms behind him, is eyes yellow and searching for a target. __**"Katon: Karyu Endan (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Missile)." **__Naruto holds his fingers to his mouth, his lungs working vigorously to change his chakra into fire chakra. Heaving he lets loose a stream of fire that takes the shape of a dragon and he blows it towards the water dragon. The fire hits the water dragon with a sizzle, steam beginning to rise._

"_**Kyuushojutsu: Mikusotoryuudan no Jutsu," **__Naruto shouts. The steam emitting from the burnt out dragons begin to take shape, the steam turning into a dragon made of steam. Puffs of air emit from the dragon as it dives towards the ground, superheating the air it passes by . It lands with a bang, the ground now enveloped by a crater. Steam begins to rise, the ground charring in several places._

"_Well done Naruto, another mixed attack in a couple of months. Good work." Naruto nods at his sensei before retiring for the day._

_***_

"_Guren-sensei! I did it," Naruto shouts as the crystal blade forms on his left arm. Guren watches as the blue crystal blade forms along his forearm, the shape curving outwards._

"_Good job Naruto. That's enough for today. You've almost mastered crystal manipulation," Guren says, smiling down at the boy._

"_Hai sensei. See you tomorrow Guren-sensei!" Naruto says, rushing off towards Hanzo's castle._

_She shakes her head as she watches the 10 year old boy run off, "He's going to be a better crystal manipulator than me."_

"_Is that so?" Hanzo says, his body stepping out of the shadows around the edge of the clearing._

"_Definitely. He almost has it to the point where he can just think what he wants and it will bend to his will. I must ask though, why is he being trained at such a younger age? He is on par with most Jounin in the city," Guren asks. Hanzo takes a breath._

"_Guren. That boy is going to take on my mantle as the Salamander contract holder. He's going to sign it when he's 12. I also have a feeling he is going to be a major factor in the war. Besides, when he goes back to Konoha, he's going to need those skills to defend himself," Hanzo says sagely._

"_But why Hanzo-sama? Didn't you take him away from that awful place in the first place?" Guren says, tilting her head to the side._

"_This war is intensifying Guren. The battle will be taken to us soon as their leader is ready. I need to prep him and I have a feeling I won't be seeing through the war when it ends. I want somebody to carry on my legacy and when I saw him that day, I saw the potential he had as he was chased around the city," Hanzo sighs, before walking away and leaving Guren in the clearing by herself. She walks off towards her home in Amegakure after fleeing from the remnants of her hold home. __**(A/N: Guren did not follow Orochimaru. She managed to escape while using her crystal manipulation. She ended up in Amegakure when Hanzo found her.)**_

_***_

"_Remember Naruto, concentrate on the mission. Empty your mind of all thoughts but the mission," a voice in the back of head says. Casting a glance over the house his target is currently sleeping in, he assesses the situation._

'_5 guards at the front on a 3 hour rotation. A walk around the ground takes 15 minutes. Best bet is to slip in while the guards aren't watching my way. Make the kill on the switch and get back out which will give me 5 minutes to get in and get out. Cake.'_

_He sits there delicately while looking at his watch every so often before returning his gaze towards the mansion. Another 15 minutes pass by as he sits stoically on the branch, watching for the guards to turn around the bend. _

_They soon appear around the bend and they walk by, leaving the road clear for him to dart out of the tree and make no noise as he hits the ground and rolls to lessen the impact. He slinks along the grounds, slipping by the guards randomly placed all over the mansion grounds. He slinks through the shadows, the moon giving just enough light for him to make out figures in the distance._

_He reaches into his pouch and pulls out a kunai with an explosive note attached to it. Tossing it into the tree he is standing against, he moves from tree to tree while putting the explosive notes onto their trunks. He soon approaches the front door, two guards standing side by side. He slinks around them and begins to scale the east wall and pick open a window. With the window now open, he jumps in gracefully, landing on the balls of his feet to make no noise. Studying the room, he can tell it is his study. He looks to his left and finds a closet which he promptly opens and slips in._

_He begins to here shuffling downstairs and footfalls going up the staircase. The door creaks open, the wood groaning as it is forced open. In walks a short man, his hair touched with grey. His skin wrinkles around his face, and he has crow's feet around his eyes. His age is shown when he moves, his movements slow and steady with no grace. He sits down in his chair and gives out a sigh while picking up a pen. It scratches along the papers, the raspy sound echoing across the room. Naruto surreptitiously takes out a kunai and opens the closet door just a crack and lets loose the kunai from the dark depths of the closet. It flies true and hits the old man in the neck, severing and embedding itself into the side of his neck to the hilt._

_Blood drips from his neck, pouring down his pale skin like a waterfall. Walking out of the closet, he begins to search the documents and snatch a couple to take back to Hanzo. With his mission almost done, he begins to make his escape. He slips back out into the cool night air, the moon now low in the sky as the horizon begins to lighten up with the rays of the sun. Swiftly moving out of the gates, he begins to run hard and fast and when he is far enough away, he lets loose his chakra and the explosive notes blow, destroying the mansion and everything around it._

_When he feels the explosion, he turns around and watches as the explosions light the night. Smoke rises into the sky, giving the stars a veil for people to see through. He drops to his knees, convulsions racking his small frame as he begins to heave._

_**Flashback Inside a Flashback Begin**_

"_Remember Naruto, we kill people because they need to be dead. We don't kill people for no reason unless they oppose what we are doing and we see fit to remove them. Remember, do not let taking a life effect you as it is necessary. I'm not saying that you should enjoy it, quite the opposite as if you kill and you enjoy it, you are just a killing machine. Remember that Naruto," Guren says as he listens intently._

_**Flashback Inside a Flashback End**_

_***_

_**"Shunpo no Jutsu: Aoi Hirameki (Flash Step: Blue Flash)," **Naruto disappears in a blue flash, leaving nothing behind as he makes his way towards Konoha._


	5. Dates

_Disclaimer: "Points to another man sitting across the room" "Although I wish I owned it, he does." I said. The reporters immediately rushed off, their cameramen following like little puppies. A smirk appeared on my face while I put a hand in my pocket and felt the money sitting in my possession._

"_Kukukuku, have fun Kishi!," I whispered before leaving the restaurant and an angry Kishi._

_BEEP. BEEP. BEEP_

"_Oh god damn it!" I sighed before walking into the shower to get ready for another day that I don't own Naruto._

_A/N: As I said in the interlude, I will be diverging from canon and going AU for a bit until we start the Chunin exams. We will soon be introduced to Naruto's extended Harem, eh hem. As for the harem, I now introduce the two newest members of Naruto's harem: Nii Yugito (Naruto's age in my fic!) and Mei Terumi (Fifth Mizu). And for those who are wondering about Konan, no she is not in the Harem… unless you want me to add her… :]. I now present to you the next chapter of Crystals._

**Crystals**

**Dates**

_A guttural scream rings out of the man's throat as a sword protrudes from his back. The owner of the sword gives it a twist, making the man scream again in agony at the pain racking his body. The owner of the sword gives it a tug and pulls it out of the cavity in the man, leaving a bleeding hole in the man's stomach. The man falls forward, his face landing in the soft grass as his blood leaks out around him and mixes with the mud of the clearing._

_He swings his sword again, impaling another right through the neck. Bones crunch and vessels pop as he rips his sword back out of the man's larynx. The man falls next to his fallen comrade, their blood intermixing to create a canvas of blood. He swings his sword once, ridding it of the crimson liquid. It stains the tree and ground, splatter marks splaying off in a straight line._

_Anko lands gracefully behind him and watches as he swings his sword and the blood flies off in different direction. She takes a moment to admire his sword and she unconsciously compares it to the Kusanagi Kusanagi looked like a standard Katana, but it has many different functions. She has seen Orochimaru use it in action and has seen the power it holds. Looking at Naruto's sword, she can distinctly see different whitet seals running down the black blade of his sword. The hand guard is white and has black seals etched on it. At the pommel, she can see another seal in red. He turns around and looks at her._

"_Why are you looking at my sword?" Naruto asks while he tosses it up in the air. _

_She watches as it flies and was going to yell, "Are you crazy?" She stops when she watches him shift and the sword lands back in its sheath on his back with a click._

"_Were you about to say something? And I ask again, why were you looking at my sword?" Naruto asks before sealing up the heads of the bodies._

"_Who says I was looking at your sword. There are more interesting things to look at," Anko says and Naruto stops what he is doing._

"_So you weren't looking at my sword, but you were looking at me?" Naruto teases, a small smirk of victory appearing on his face_

_Anko then notices the double entrende in her sentence and a blush appears on her face. Her face forms a scowl, "Don't make me castrate you."_

_Anko's scowl depends when Naruto's smirk got bigger, "Oh Anko, I never thought you would want to see me like that. You could have asked and I would have shown you."_

_Anko's mouth opens for a second before she blushes and lude pictures begin to appear in her head. She gains a slight nosebleed before a cough breaks her out of her thoughts, "You okay Anko?"_

_His smirk infuriates her and she yells, "That's it. You're so losing your balls." She throws a kunai at his crotch and it hits him and she opens her mouth in surprise. She runs towards his fallen figure who is now holding his groin in pain._

_When she kneels down, she sees the smirk on his face before he disappears in a poof of smoke. She then feels an arm around her waist and a kunai on her cheek._

_With a quick flick, he gives her a small cut on the cheek and she stiffens when she feels his rough tongue licking at her wound. "You taste good Anko. You're a full course meal. Appetizing body that you yearn for, an entrée that you can eat at your leisure, and your body a dessert that you can just devour," he whispers in her ear with a husky voice. His warm breath tickles her ear and she lets out a small whimper before remembering his words._

"_I'm going to gut you like a fish," she says and turns around suddenly, slashing her kunai. He takes the hit and she opens her mouth only to have it shut again as the clone disappears._

_A small note sits on the ground and she reads it._

_**Mitarashi Anko,**_

_**Naruto isn't here at the moment. He is currently on his way to Konoha. Leave a message after the beep.**_

_**Sincerely yours,**_

_**Uzumaki Naruto ;)**_

"_Beep," somebody says from behind her. She whirls around and tosses the kunai and strikes another clone who disappears in a puff of smoke._

"_NARUTO, YOU'RE SO GETTING IT WHEN WE GET BACK," she whispers sadistically._

"_Message taken, here is his retort," A clone next to her says. "Hello, and if you are listening to this, that means I am already in Konoha. See you there!"_

_Anko's grin grows even wider before she sets off. Her palm drags along the edge of the kunai and her mind wanders through what kind of pain she can put the blond through._

_**Hokage's Office**_

_Anko bursts through the oak door and wildly looks around. The Hokage looks up from his orange book and discreetly puts it away in a filing cabinet. "How was your first mission with Naruto-kun, Anko-chan?"_

_Anko finally levels her gaze on the Hokage who flinches at the gaze. Her voice is throaty and laced with murderous intent, "Where is he?"_

_The Hokage prays for Naruto's safety before telling her, "After he gave our mission report, he told me to tell you to go find him at the place where a pond sits, trees grow heavenward, and where children play at."_

_Anko ponders it for a moment before the sadistic grin appears on her face, "Thank you Hokage-sama. You might want to set up a hospital room for wittle Naruto when I'm done with him." She disappears in a swirl of leaves, leaving the Hokage by himself in his office._

_He snaps his fingers and a man decked out in ANBU armor appears next to him, "Hokage-sama?"_

"_Set up a room for one Uzumaki Naruto in the hospital. Keep it open as I have an inkling of a feeling that he might be needing it," Sarutobi says. The ANBU officer nods his head and disappears in a poof of smoke._

_The Sandaime goes back to his face and a goofy grin appears on his face as he reads, "Suki slowly licked her lips of his juices before she went down on him again. Her tongue swirled at the tip of his erection and she felt him squirm under het touch. His hand shots out and dug deep into her golden locks as she began to bob her head up and down. He groans and a moment later, she felt his cock hit the back of her throat and she fought down the gag reflex and started to hum. Her hand shot out and grabbed his balls and she felt them tighten and the next thing she knew his manhood twitched-"_

"_HOKAGE-SAMA, TEAM 9 REPORTING MISSION SUCCESS.,"__the Hokage looks up with annoyed expression and puts the book away._

"_Yes, yes. Report quickly, I'm quite busy," the Hokage says irritably as his mind tries to put the finisher on the small section of the story._

"_YOSH HOKAGE-SAMA. TEAM 9 AND I USED OUR FLAMES OF YOUTH TO DESTROY THE OPPOSTION…" Gai went on to explain the rest while the Sandaime thought, 'I WANT TO READ MY SMUT NOW!'_

Naruto walks into the Hokage's office with a small yawn and finds Anko and the Hokage already there. Stifling another yawn, he lazily walks over, biting the apple he has in his right hand. A large crunch behind them alerts the two shinobi in the room and they go on alert as they didn't even sense the intrusion of another person.

"Relax, it's just me," a voice says from behind the two. They instantly turn to see one Uzumaki Naruto with a cheeky grin on his face. They both sigh in relief, but both are a little incensed that has is able to sneak into the office undetected.

"Ah, Naruto-kun you're here. I was just discussing your next mission with Anko-chan," the Hokage says when Naruto tosses his apple out the window of the building. Naruto watches it as it falls on top of a guy's head and knocks him down.

With a smile he turns around to find them both staring at him. He is still chewing on his apple and when he swallows, he sheepishly says, "What?"

Anko rolls her eyes while the Hokage clears his throat, "Um, well now. This is an S-rank escort mission. Both of you know that the Fifth Mizukage is here in Konoha yes?" Both nod their head, "You two are going to accompany her back next week. You will meet with her in 5 days to discuss plans. This is on a need to know basis as information leaked here can be very, very detrimental to the health of the Mizukage. If she dies going from here to Kirigakure no Sato, there will be a political fallout and we don't need that now. Understood?"

"Hai Hokage-sama," Naruto and Anko say together before walking out the door. The Hokage watches them leave and then surreptitiously pulls out his orange book and begins to read only to have team 9 barge in.

"HOKAGE-SAMA. TEAM 9 REPORTING A SUCCESSFUL MISSION! YOSH, OUR FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHTLY," the Hokage looks up with an annoyed expression and puts his book away with a sigh.

"Alright, start with your report…"

***

Naruto and Anko appear inside training ground 8 and they find Kurenai and her team doing some training. Kurenai who is busy training Hinata, looks over and finds Naruto and Anko walking over to her.

"Hello Nai-chan," Anko happily says. Naruto gives her a small wave as he looks over the field. Hinata who is standing next to Kurenai faints after seeing Naruto.

Naruto cocks an eyebrow in Hinata's direction and turns to Kurenai, "Will she be okay?"

Kurenai sighs and shakes her head, "She'll be fine. She's rather shy and her father puts her down pretty much. She's grown up in a household where her father doesn't really care."

Naruto shrugs his shoulder and looks over at the two boys sparring. He watches as they run through taijutsu and ninjutsu and he notices how most of them revolve around their family jutsu. He speaks up, making the two women look at him, "They have good tactics, but there jutsu is rather predictable."

"What do you mean?" Kurenai asks, still watching her students.

"Well, if you look at Kiba," he points at Kiba, "He uses his clan jutsu way too much and depends on Akamaru a lot. Shino, he uses his bugs in various ways, but that can easily be countered with a simple wind jutsu. Now, I suggest you start teaching them how to utilize their affinities."

Naruto reaches into his pocket and extracts three pieces of chakra paper, "Take these and at the end of the lesson, help them pump chakra into it. I'll be able to help them if you need me. I'm sure Anko will help too."

He smirks as Anko growls at him, "No way I'm training gakis. Looking after you is hard enough as it is."

Naruto laughs while Kurenai cocks an eyebrow at their banter, "Well, if you're going to look after me as you say it, might as well help me out whenever I'm here. Sitting around and eating dango doesn't help your figure you know." He waggles his eyebrows and she shoots a glare at him.

"Don't make me castrate you," she growls out.

Kurenai sighs and claps her hand, "Enough. Why are you two here anyway? I wouldn't imagine you two showing up to give me tips for training my students."

"This one," he points at Anko's shorter figure, "Wanted a quick spar." Anko growls and attempts to cut his finger off with her kunai.

"Nuh uh Anko," he waggles his finger in a childish way for no, "No handicaps."

"Who says I need a handicap. I can kick your ass from here to Sunday buddy," Anko threatens.

"Sure, sure. Kurenai, mind refereeing the match. Call in your students, they might like to watch as I kick Anko's ass," he says, while he shifts his head to the left when Anko throws a kunai at him.

Kurenai rolls her eyes and calls to her students. They walk over, both are panting and sweating from the spar they had. "Take a break and watch."

The three made their way into the middle of the clearing. Naruto and Anko jump away form the middle, leaving Kurenai to look back and forth. "Keep the fight clean," she glares at Anko who waves back with a sadistic grin. The three genin can't help but shy away while Naruto smirks. "Go."

The wind howls and whips around them and Anko shoots off like a cannon, her legs becoming a blur. She tosses a kunai at his unmoving form and continues to sprint with a kunai held out in a reverse grip. She watches as he shifts his head to the left while flicking out his right hand and sends a kunai right at her. She slashes her kunai and the clang reverberates through the trees. The force of her kunai smacks it back towards him. He raises his hand and plucks it out of the air by the handle.

By this time, Anko is upon him and he raises the blade to block her overhead slash. She follows it up with a reverse left hook kick which he ducks under. She follows through the rotation with a right side arc slash with her kunai. He catches her hand and twists it to the side, causing a spike of pain in her hand. She drops the kunai, but her other hand goes in for a punch directed at his face.

His other hand flies up and catches it mere inches from his face. Unable to move from his grasp, she uses her feet and aims a kick at his groin and he simply shifts his leg to block the kick. With both her hands captive, he head butts her and releases her hands. She hits the ground with both hands and backflips back into her stance, hands up and at the ready.

Naruto blurs out of vision and a moment later, he is right in her face, hand cocked back. She manages to duck and sweep at his legs. Sending chakra to his legs, he jumps back in a back flip and begins to form handseals, **"Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Immortal Fire)."**

He spits out several large globs of fire at Anko who begins to cartwheel, roll, jump, and backflip away from the large fireballs. When she lands on her feet, her hand immediately flies through a set of handseals, **"Doton: Doryuudan (Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet)."**

A mud dragon forms next to Anko and begins to spit ball while Naruto mentally curses as he begins to weave in and out of the paths of the giant mud balls. As Naruto edges closer, she cuts off the chakra flow to dragon and calls out, **"Sen'eijashu (Hidden Shadow Snake Hands)." **She lifts her arms out and points towards him and snakes begin to slither out of her coat sleeve.

Without any handseals, he shouts, **"Kaze no Yaiba (Blade of Wind)." **As the snakes approach him, he slashes the greenish blade in front of him and sends five small boomerang shaped shards of wind at the snakes.

They impact the snakes and the snakes soon fall to the ground with their bodies severed all over. Naruto sends another salvo of wind blades at Anko and she immediately yells, **"Doton: Doryuuheki (Earth Release: Earth Encampment Wall)." **She spits out a line of mud in front of her and it shoots up to create a mud wall.

The wind blades clash against the wall and she can feel it crumbling under the force. A few seconds later, the blades begin to cut through the mud and she quickly **Kawamiri (Body Replacement) **out of there, replacing herself with a log as the wind blades bring down her barrier.

She appears behind him in the thicket of the woods and mentally sighs in relief that she wasn't in the way of the wind blades. She watched as they destroyed her mud wall and cut through the trees behind it. She begins to stalk his movements, but unknown to her, he is smirking.

He already knows where Anko is and he disappears in a blue flash, startling everybody at his disappearance.

"Hello Anko," a husky voice says next to her ear. She feels the cold steel of the kunai at her neck and she shivers as his warm breath rolls over her tender skin. The kunai then leaves the flesh of her neck…

Only to cut her cheek as she feels his tongue lap her blood. She gasps out as his rough tongue rolls over her soft skin and a small, burning heat builds in the pit of her stomach. He growls against her cheek and the vibrations make her moan again. "Your blood… still... taste… good…" he says in between alternating talking and sucking at her blood.

His hand moves to her hips, his fingers trailing paths of fire through her trench coat. Her hands fly up and find purchase in his hair and she pulls him closer. He abandons her cut and moves to the side of her mouth, his tongue leaving a slick trail of saliva. His arms wrap around her stomach, his fingers interlacing with each other and she leans back into his muscled chest. His warm tongue and lips leave her face and she pouts, only to feel them again nibbling on her earlobe. She gasps and her hands fists in his hair.

He stops and then in a husky voice he says, "That's payback for last time…" He laughs and then disappears in a blue flash, leaving a very angry, albeit aroused Anko. She marches out of the thicket, her head swiveling wildly as she tries to spot the blond.

She spots the blond locks talking with the three genin and she stalks over, fire in her eyes for leaving her hanging. "Um, Naruto…" Kurenai says, catching his attention. She points at Anko and he looks over, catching the sadistic grin on her face.

He gulps before saying… "Uh… you okay Anko?" She nods her head and disappears, only to put a kunai next to his throat, the cold steel treading shapes into his neck.

She puts her lips on his ear and he lets out a low gasp as her warm tongue rolls his earlobe in her mouth. "You," she says, "are going to take me on a date. Tomorrow at 7. If you're late… let's just say very unpleasant things will happen. Dress to impress Naruto-kun." Naruto gulps again before nodding his head sheepishly.

She let's go and gives him a big smile, "I'm expecting a very good date Naruto-kun... and…" she lets him fill in the blanks."

"Got it," he says, nodding his head while he scours his brain for possible restaurants. She smiles and waves at Kurenai, shoots a glare at her genin, pecks Naruto on the cheek, and then disappears in a swirl of leaves.

When she is gone, Kurenai looks at the dazed expression on Naruto's face and laughs, "Oh Naruto… I'll help you out." He looks over, giving her a grateful smile.

"You're dismissed," she says to her three genin who are severely traumatized by the so called "Snake Lady" as one Inuzaka Kiba dubs. They stalk off and out of sight.

Kurenai turns back to Naruto who arcs an eyebrow before settling in a smile. "So… what am I going to do about this date?" he cheekily says.

Kurenai smiles and grabs his hands before turning around so he doesn't see the blush rise on her face. The contours of her palm mingle with his soft and tender skin and she bites her lip to try and stop the rush of blood to her cheeks. She takes one deep breath before turning and giving him a smile, "Well… we're going shopping!"

Naruto groans and mumbles, "Oh joy…" She squeezes his hand and rushes off towards the shopping district with him in tow at high speeds that they look like a blur as they move.

"Women and their shopping," Naruto groans again. Kurenai turns around and gives him the evil eye before pulling him into a clothing shop.

***

Naruto walks out of the fitting room and finds Kurenai with a massive blush on her face. He cocks an eyebrow and disappears in a blue flash, ending up behind Kurenai in another flash. "Like what you see?" he says in her ear. He gives it a nip before she turns around and tries to hit him on the head.

He disappears in another blue flash and ends up in his old spot. He chuckles and shakes his head, "I guess you do. Enjoy the free show." Kurenai's face turns redder than a tomato before she looks away.

After they both calm down, although Kurenai still has the blush on her cheek, he says, "So, what do you think?" Kurenai gives him a once over before the blush turns even more crimson.

She clears her throat and tries to get her face under control and she squeaks, "Um… you look… good."

"Just good?" he teases as Kurenai's blush takes over again. "Relax, I'm just teasing."

He walks back into the fitting room and takes off the blue yukata. The seams are canary yellow as well as the sash holding the yukata together. He walks back into the fitting room and strips out of the yukata before pulling on another one except in red with black seams and sash.

The trend continues back and forth with Naruto constantly changing his clothes while Kurenai enjoys the free show Naruto gives her. When they finally finish, Naruto ends up with 4 new yukatas, 4 sets of dress shirts and slacks, and a new pair of getas. For Kurenai, she gets a free show and 4 nose bleeds. All in all, it's a good day.

As they continue to walk along the shopping district, they stop in front of the flower shop and Kurenai pull him in. Ino looks up to find the new Jounin everybody is talking about with Kurenai-sensei holding his hand. She arcs an eyebrow before asking, "Can I help you?"

Naruto looks over at the platinum blond and smiles, "I'm looking for a dozen gardenias if you have any."

Ino cocks her head to the left, "Why gardenias?"

Naruto says, "The meaning."

Kurenai looks at him in confusion while Ino catches up with him. Ino looks directly at Kurenai, who drops Naruto's hand and blushes, "Is it for a girl?" Ino keeps her eyes on Kurenai who looks down.

"It's not me Ino," Kurenai says, making Ino blush at her mistake. 'Although I wish it was. Lucky Anko.'

"I don't have gardenias on display, but we have patches of them in the back. When do you need them by?" Ino asks.

"Tomorrow afternoon, say… around 6? Yeah, 6. I'll stop by to pick them up," Naruto says before handing her the money for the flowers.

"Good luck," Ino says as they leave the shop. He smiles and gives her a wave before they both leave.

Kurenai looks up at him and cocks an eyebrow, "What do gardenias mean?" Kurenai had absolutely no experience in flowers so she didn't know that different flowers have different meanings.

"Well… gardenias mean… secret love," Naruto says. Kurenai's mouth opens wide before it snaps shut and a wide smile appears on her face.

"Nice. Anko has always been a lonely one and I really haven't seen her this lively before you became her partner. It's good for you two."

Naruto smiles and leads her to the dango shop where they grab a bite to eat. While they eat, they small talk and get to know each other better. Naruto learns that like him, Kurenai is an orphan and her parents died because of the Kyuubi attack.

"I'm sorry," he says, his eyes downcast.

She sees his expression before whispering, "It's fine. I don't blame you, I blame the fox that is stuck inside of you. You're not a demon, but a person who has the unlucky job of caging the beast."

Naruto smiles, "Thank you." He looks out at the sky and notices the rapidly darkening sky and he gets up. "It's getting late and I have things to do tomorrow. Good night Kurenai-san," he says. He leans over and gives her a peck on the cheek, leaves some money on the counter, and walks out the door.

Kurenai's hand reaches up to touch her cheek where his lips had touched and a dazed expression appears on her face. A giddy smile forms and the inner and more emotional Kurenai goes, "He kissed me! OH MY GOD, HE KISSED ME!"

Anko walks into the dango shop at that exact moment and sees Kurenai with a hand on her cheek and that dazed expression on her face. Anko takes a seat next to Kurenai and arcs an eyebrow, "Ne, Nai-chan, you okay?"

Kurenai who hadn't noticed Anko spins around and comes face to face with Anko, "I-I'm fine. Hehe, I just had dinner so I'm going to go now." She quickly stands up and leaves before Anko can ask any more questions.

Anko watches her rapidly departing form before shrugging it off and orders some dango before she starts to go shopping for clothes for tomorrow's date.

***

Tomorrow rolls around and it quickly turns into night and the upcoming date. Naruto paces in his apartment before he remembers the gardenias. He rushes off, picks them up with just enough time to get to Anko's home before 7.

At 7, Naruto knocks on the door and he hears scuffling inside as things fall and land on the floor. He cocks an eyebrow at the sounds and the door opens to reveal Anko and his mouth opens wide and he almost drops the flowers in his hands out of shock.

Anko is wearing a deep, sleeveless purple dress that covers her back, but has a plunging neckline that end in the middle of chest. It covers her assets generously, but shows just enough skin to entice a human male. It ends at mid thigh and shows off her pale, but muscled legs. She wears a pair of sandals that show off her red toenails. Her purple hair that is usually set up in a spiky pineapple shaped ponytail is down and it reaches the middle of her back. She has on a small charm bracelet and a necklace with a small locket on it that says, "From Mom." Her angelic face has no makeup as it isn't needed and her onyx eyes seem to pierce his amethyst.

Anko opens the door to find Naruto wearing a white dress shirt that showed off his figure. A charcoal sports jacket hangs from his shoulder and a black and white tie hangs down the middle in between the gaps in his sports jacket. He wears a pair of black slacks and his getas peek out from under the pants legs. His hair is spiked and it falls down to the back of his heck and his face has a goofy expression, but it morphs into a dazed expression.

They ogle each other for a few moments before Naruto grasps himself again and clears his throat, "Um, these are for you." He hands over the gardenias he is holding behind his back and hands it to her. She takes a sniff and smiles before putting it in a vase next to her on the table.

"Thank you," she says. She takes his proffered arm and they walk out of her apartment arm in arm. They walk down the streets, people looking at them with the women glaring at Anko and all the men drooling and raging on the inside at Naruto.

They walk into the more quite parts of Konoha where they stop outside a small and quaint restaurant. She has never been here before and she looks at Naruto who chuckles, "Trust me."

"I do."

He nods and opens the door for her and she appreciates the gentlemanly **(is that a word?)** gesture. He walks in after her and they are stopped by matradee. "Do you have reservations?" he asks.

"7 'o clock, Uzumaki," Naruto states. The man checks the list and sees his name.

"Right this way, sir," he says, taking out two menus and leading them up the stairs to a second floor. He leads them to a verandah hidden by white curtains and a wooden roof. The waiter parts the curtains, allowing the night to suffuse through the now gaping hole in between the white fabric.

They sit at a table closest to the railing of the balcony, allowing them to see a little bit of Konoha. The district of Konoha they are in is slightly more elevated than the other part, allowing them to see over the lower parts of Konoha and its night life.

"Would you like anything to drink?" the waiter asks while taking out a notepad.

Naruto gestures for Anko to go first and she flashes him a smile, "Chilled sake is fine."

"For the sir?"

"Chilled green tea."

"Thank you, I will be back with your drinks and to take your orders," the waiter says, bowing and then walking down the stairs. They stay silent for a few moments as they listen to his footfalls disappear completely.

"Green tea?" she asks incredulously. "Who drinks green tea?"

Naruto smiles and chuckles at her shocked expression, "I'd have you know that green tea is rather popular around the Elemental Nations. Besides, I want to be at least half cognizant by the end of this date. Wouldn't pay to have our best assassination team out like a light until the afternoon."

"I guess, but you're still a pansy," she says, smirking while he rolls his eyes.

"Shut up."

"Whatever, let's get our orders ready shall we?" Naruto says, picking up his menu and scanning it over. Anko mirrors his action and begins to scan the menu, mentally picking and choosing what she wants and what she doesn't want.

The waiter comes back a few minutes later with their drinks on a platter. He sets them down and takes out his notepad and pen, "What would you like?"

"Ladies first," Naruto says.

"Can I get an order of sashimi, followed by a lobster salad with a side of spring rolls, no zucchini," she orders,

"And for the sir?"

"Can I have an order of Shu Mai **(Steamed Wontons)**, followed by a plate of Yakisoba **(Stir Fry Noodles w/vegetable and or meat)** with a side of shrimp spring rolls," Naruto says, handing the menus over to the waiter.

"Very good, your food should arrive in no less than 15 minutes," he says, taking the menus and descending back down the stairs.

They sip their drinks in silence, and Anko clears her throat, "So, why do they call you **Ichihane Tenshi**?"

Naruto smiles and swirls his straw in his drink, "It's a surprise." He gives her a knowing look while winking.

With that question unanswered she changes to another one, "What was it like to study under Hanzo? I heard he was ruthless and could take on the 3 sennin."

Naruto chuckles at her awed tone, "It was quite an… shall we say experience. He pushed me, and he pushed hard. I was up really early everyday and stayed up late into the night. Although he was a slave driver, he was a father figure to me. He taught me how to fight, how to defend myself, and how to act around people. Everything a father usually does. When he died, it felt like a part of myself went with him."

Anko nods her head in understanding, "He trusted me with carrying on his legacy. He trusted me with the Salamander contract. It was his final wish and I intend to do just that."

At this moment, the waiter comes back with their food and he sets them on the table and retreats quickly. They lapse back into silence, the only noise is their mouths chewing and their forks and chopsticks banging against their plates. They soon finish and he calls for the check. They pay up and walk out the door, Naruto's hand wrapping around her waist.

"So… what's next on the schedule?" Anko says as they walk back into the more populated section of Konoha. He smiles knowingly, but he doesn't answer and chooses to keep her in the dark. She cuddles into his arm, the warmth drawing her to his side and he wraps her up tighter in his grasp.

They start walking in the direction of the Hokage monument and the next thing she knows, he leads her up by the hand and they sit on top of the Yondaime's head. She looks at him oddly, wondering what they can possibly be doing up here. He gives her a smile and points out towards Konoha.

When she looks, she gasps at the beautiful sight beneath them. It is a picture perfect image of Konoha, people moving around and giving the city life during the darker time of the day. They are small, much like ants from their distance away from the village. Pinpricks of light escape from windows, illuminating the image with firefly sized lights. The houses speckle the image with their pointed roofs and arching tiles as they spear into the night sky. A pair of arms wrap around behind her as she continues to look into the night sky and she leans back into the chest as she feels his lips on her forehead.

"Beautiful isn't it," he says, while he rests his cheek on top of her purple hair. He breathes in her familiar scent, a cross of lilies and the lavender shampoo she uses.

She takes a deep breath, inhaling his scent that smells much like the scent after a spring rain, "It is." They stay like that for a few moments until she hears a rustling behind them. She twists her head to see over his shoulder and finds a single black wing extending from his right shoulder.

"You wanted to know why my name was **Ichihane Tenshi** didn't you?" he says, huskily as his wings start to flap. They hover in the air for a moment before he whispers, "Close your eyes."

She listens to him and closes her eyes and he jumps. "Don't open your eyes," he whispers as they plummet towards the lower region of the monument. She can feel the air rush next to her and his arms wrapping around her waist tightly as they make their descent. She can feel the adrenaline rush through her as her fight or flight system begins to kick in, but she suppresses it through sheer will and allows herself to calm down in his arms.

They fall for what seems like an eternity, but in reality it is only half a minute. They begin to slow as his wing begins to flap and level out their speed. Her feet touches solid ground and the adrenaline begins to ebb away into nothing. "You can open your eyes now," he whispers softly in her ears. She listens to his command and opens her eyes to find a plate of sweet dango and chilled sake in front of her.

She turns in the cocoon of his arms and pushes back to get a full glimpse of him. He is virtually the same, except his eyes have changed to a more dark purple instead of their bright amethyst and the black wing extends to his right for a meter and a half. She reaches out and touches the soft, delicate feathers of his angel like wings and he groans under her touch. He has always known that his wing is an erogenous spot on his body and he has to bite his lips to stop from crying out in pleasure.

She looks to him, silently asking permission to pluck a feather from his wing and he nods, whispering, "Go ahead." She reaches a hand out, stroking the soft skin of his wing and she finds a particularly large feather and she grasps it, the texture of it soft and silky like his hair. She gently pulls and he gasps out in pleasure and pain as the sensation of losing a feather.

She rolls the feather in her fingers, allowing her skin to remember and compartmentalize the texture. The stem like structure in the middle is hard, but elastic and flexible in her grip. She puts him up to her nose and inhales his scent, cooing in pleasure as the smell of him assaults her nervous system. After inhaling his scent, she shifts the feather to her other hand and puts it behind her left ear for safekeeping and uses her right hand to pull him down to the blanket.

They sit side by side, their hands intertwining and resting in between the junction their thighs make. Soft skin brushes against her exposed thigh and she shivers, the mixture of the cold air and his warm skin causing her to break out in a shudder. Noticing her shaking, he slips off his sports jacket and places it around her shoulders, cocooning her in the soft fabric. His scent is everywhere on the jacket and she snuggles into it, allowing the scent to wrap around in its embrace.

He lets go of her hand in favor of putting a hand over her shoulder and drawing her close while his right hand feeds her the skewers of dango on the blanket. They eat in silence, feeding each other food as they snuggle closer to each other, their bodies radiating heat to keep them warm. They stare out into the dark expanse, allowing the flickers of light in the village enrapture them as they soon start blinking out and the hustle and bustle of the village slow down.

Soon, most of the lights are out, leaving the village and plunging it into darkness. They sit quietly for a few moments before she feels his soft hand on her chin. It tugs her chin to the right, allowing her to glimpse into his eyes and see the happy and emotional undertones underneath the cover of his amethyst orbs. His left hand leaves the comfort of her shoulder in favor of her left hand sitting in her lap. Her onyx eyes gaze into his and they intermix, his amethyst eyes giving her a safe and warm feeling that she hasn't really felt before.

He stares into her eyes for a full minute before he takes a deep breath. His voice comes out soft and light, but she can sense the underlying emotion of elation and excitement hidden in the tone. "Anko… the first time I met you, I thought you were crazy," he says, causing them both to chuckle, "As time went on and I got to know you better, I knew that the insanity you use was a mask. I got to see a glimpse, a sliver beneath that mask and I liked what I saw. What I saw was a strong woman with a good will and strong heart and my heart went out for yours. Ever since that time, every touch and every action we made together made my heart jump and spring into action. I could hear the blood pumping in my ears when you almost died."

"I've never been shown love before so I don't know what it is like, but I'm sure as hell think I'm feeling it now. Anko ever since that day we met, I've found you attractive and couldn't deny your beauty, but what is underneath is what is the most beautiful thing about you. My heat plummets whenever we are in public and people send glares at you for something you didn't do. You drop your mask around me and I am glad that you allowed me in. I just feel so disappointed whenever you put up your mask and I feel elated when you open up with me."

"Do you remember the day of the start of the Wave mission and what I was about to say?" Anko nod her head, a few tears glazing her eyes and making them shine like a beacon in a stormy night, "Well, before that Uchiha interrupted, I was going to say…"

A few tears leak out of her eyes, and he uses his thumb to wipe them away. She looks up and sees the tiny sheen of tears on his eyes as well and she anticipates with a hungry need to what he is going to say. He takes one last breath before he says three simple words, "I love you."

Tears streak down her face as the floodgates open and her emotions tip over the mental defenses she has put up over the years of hate and hostility shown towards her. A single tear falls down his face as both his hands wind around her and pick her up, gently settling her in her lap. Both her legs straddle his as she cries into his chest and he gently rubs and pats her back, allowing her to cry into his shirt.

They stay in that position for a good 15 minutes, allowing Anko to cry and sob away all the negative emotions she has felt throughout her life. After 15 minutes, her tears and sobs begin to die down, the tears that assault his shirt lessening and soon ebb away into a light purr. She looks up with her glistening onyx eyes and gives him a teary smile.

With a shaky breath that racks her whole body, she begins, "Naruto, I remember the first time we met and the first thing I thought was, "Who is this kid?" she laughs, her melodic voice causing him to join her as well.

She takes another shaky breath before continuing in the same shaky voice, "When I learned I was going to be partnered with you, I groaned and begged the Hokage not to, but he wouldn't relent. So, I was stuck with you and I'm glad I did. I found somebody who could past my apprenticeship with Orochimaru and see the real woman underneath the mask I wear to protect myself from people. Every time you looked at me, I could see the genuine emotion under your eyes and every time you spoke to me, I could hear the concern lacing your voice. We teased and we taunted each other all in good fun, so similar in our mannerism. I have people that care for me, the Sandaime, Kurenai, and now, I've found you."

"Uzumaki Naruto, I love you," she says as she cranes her neck up and forwards. He sees her movements and leans forward as well, closing the quickly withering gap between their pink lips. He steals a glance at her awaiting lips before looking back at her closed eyes. When their lips meet, he closes his eyes, allowing the sensation to roll over him in waves of warmth and satisfaction as the woman next to him shares his love.

Their lips move and mix in rhythm, their lips moving in sync with each other like they could read the other's thoughts. Their lips mold together to become one and they soon part the chaste kiss, their lips shining with a little gloss of saliva. A small bridge of saliva bridges their lips together between the gap, but as they pull away it breaks away as well. Their foreheads rests against the other, both sets of eyes closed, allowing the sensation to run amuck in their nervous system.

Both sets of eyes snap open in an instant, the onyx mixing with the amethyst and their lips meet again in another crash. Their noses touch while their lips meet their significant others in a residing tidal wave of emotion. Their supple lips graze the other in a chaste kiss, but Naruto stars to throw in nips and pecks as he works from the left to the right side of her mouth. He nibbles on her lower lip, his rough teeth grazing the soft skin of her ruby red lips. He gives her a peck on the right side of her mouth before giving her another chaste kiss, this time allowing his mouth to open, allowing his tongue to snake out and lap at her lips.

She feels his lips and understands what he is asking for and she opens up, allowing his tongue snake into her mouth and intertwine with her squishy tongue. Their tongues clash and dance in a battle of dominance, their tongues trying to one up the other as they move in time with the other. She moans as their tongues move together in tandem, their tongues rubbing against every inch of her mouth. Their tongues wrestle for a good three minutes before they break for air and that is only for a few seconds before they collide together again with a wet smack.

Her mouth opens first this time, allowing her tongue to slither out and she flicked her tongue in a knocking motion on his lips. He gladly opens up, allowing her tongue to slip in, but his own ambushes her and wraps around her squishy tongue and pull it into his mouth. The air begins to drain into his lungs as he sucks on her tongue, savoring the taste of the dango they had eaten. She moans when his tongue wraps around her and she moans again when he releases it and they push back into her cavernous cavity.

His tongue begins to explore like a spelunker would explore a cave. His tongue rubs against the roof of her mouth and she moans into his open cavity, the sound music to his ears. He mixes it up, allowing his tongue to lick the back of her bottom teeth and then allowing it to graze the teeth on the top row. While his tongue is doing that, her tongue is suppressed under the pressure of his tongue and she gasps again when his appendage pulls her own into his mouth.

She can feel his arousal poking and rubbing against her left thigh as her pelvis grinds into his. Her own nether regions begin to soak, the kisses powerful enough to elicit a response in her hot sex. He moans into her mouth after she pulls the same trick on him, her tongue snaking around his and pulling it into her mouth. She light bites down on it, the sensation making his eyes roll into the back of his head. They soon break away, their lips swollen and shiny with the slick of their saliva. Their eyes are wild and searching, their foreheads pressing against the other. Hunger and primal lust hide behind their eyes which cover for the more obscure emotion of love that everyone yearns for.

They pant hard, their breaths shallow and short as they swallow gasps of air like it is a nectar from Kami. They stare into each other's eyes, neither wanting to break the contact. When their breathing returns to normal and their chests stop heaving, they close their eyes, allowing the situation to finally sink in.

Naruto opens his eyes first, taking in the spectacle that is Anko, "I love you Anko."

Anko's eyes flutter open and a wide smile appears on her face as she gives him a small peck on the lips, "I love you too Naruto, you big romantic."

Naruto rolls his eyes before they both start chuckling. He quickly cleans up, storing everything inside a storage scroll. When every trace of food is gone, he turns around and swipes at Anko's legs, making her yelp in surprise. He deftly catches her and settles her into a bridal style carry and they both disappear in a blue flash towards her apartment. A line of blue flashes appear over the skies in Konoha, making those who remembered the Yondaime's justsu gape in awe.

A blue flash appears inside the living room of her apartment building and two figures soon follow. Naruto lands on his feet, Anko in his arms as her arms circle his neck. Anko's eyes are closed but a gentle nuzzle of her neck makes her crack her eyes open and she is suddenly hit with a dizzy feeling.

"Woah," she says from the canopy of his arms. He laughs and walks into her bedroom, gently laying her down on the white sheets.

"You'll get use to it," he says, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Her head rests on a violet pillow. She unwraps herself from his jacket and bundles it up in a ball and pulls it to her nose and deeply inhales the scent.

"You smell good, like the scent after a spring rain," she says while still inhaling his scent. He chuckles softly and his left hand caresses her cheek and he leans forward, giving her a small peck on the lips.

"I like the smell of your shampoo," he says, before they descend back into the realm of chuckling.

He looks down at her once more, his hand still cupping her cheek and he draws her in for one more chaste kiss before he breaks it apart and moves to leave. Her soft hand grabs his wrists, stopping him in place. He turns around to find the pleading face of Anko, "Stay with me tonight?"

Her cute look makes him stop and he smiles, "Anything for you tenshi." She drops his wrists and he begins to strip, unbuttoning and removing his dress shirt. A white Tee-shirt lays underneath, the Tee-shirt showing off his chest. He then strips off his black slacks, revealing his black fox boxers underneath. She giggles when she sees them, the sound escaping her throat. He smiles and slips in next to her, their bodies facing the other.

She slips out of her dress quickly, leaving her only in her bra and panties. He ogles her in turn for a moment, noticing her C-cup sized breast and shapely bottom. She has an hourglass figure with curves in all the right spots that make a man shiver in delight if he gets the chance to touch.

They face each other and smile before Naruto says, "Goodnight Anko-chan."

She smiles back, tossing an arm over his side. She closes her eyes and whispers faintly, "Goodnight Naruto-kun."

Their breathing begins to slow down, the deep and rhythmic rise and falls of their chest moving in tandem with each other. They soon shift for the night, Naruto moving onto his back with an arm under Anko. Anko's head is buried in the crook of his neck while her left arm is tossed over him. Their legs mix together at the end of the bed, their limbs intertwining with their lovers. If anybody is to see them right now, they would have been the perfect picture for a couple.

***

A perverted giggle escapes the man with white hair's throats as he scribbles fiercely in his notebook. His smile stretches to his ears and he takes off into the night, leaving nothing behind but a small toad that croaks and disappears with a small poof of smoke.

_A/N: Merry Christmas guys. Hope you enjoyed. Another chapter sometime next week!_

2


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